Ezekiel 16
World English Bible
16 Again Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations; 3 and say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says to Jerusalem: “Your origin and your birth is of the land of the Canaanite. An Amorite was your father, and your mother was a Hittite. 4 As for your birth, in the day you were born your navel was not cut. You weren’t washed in water to cleanse you. You weren’t salted at all, nor wrapped in blankets at all. 5 No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you, to have compassion on you; but you were cast out in the open field, because you were abhorred in the day that you were born.
6 “‘“When I passed by you, and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you, ‘Though you are in your blood, live!’ Yes, I said to you, ‘Though you are in your blood, live!’ 7 I caused you to multiply as that which grows in the field, and you increased and grew great, and you attained to excellent ornament. Your breasts were formed, and your hair grew; yet you were naked and bare.
8 “‘“Now when I passed by you, and looked at you, behold, your time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over you, and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore to you, and entered into a covenant with you,” says the Lord Yahweh, “and you became mine.
9 “‘“Then I washed you with water. Yes, I thoroughly washed away your blood from you, and I anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you also with embroidered work, and put sealskin sandals on you. I dressed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 I decked you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands, and put a chain on your neck. 12 I put a ring on your nose, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were decked with gold and silver. Your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered work. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and you prospered to royal estate. 14 Your renown went out among the nations for your beauty; for it was perfect, through my majesty which I had put on you,” says the Lord Yahweh.
15 “‘“But you trusted in your beauty, and played the prostitute because of your renown, and poured out your prostitution on everyone who passed by. It was his. 16 You took some of your garments, and made for yourselves high places decked with various colors, and played the prostitute on them. This shall not happen, neither shall it be. 17 You also took your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men, and played the prostitute with them. 18 You took your embroidered garments, covered them, and set my oil and my incense before them. 19 My bread also which I gave you, fine flour, oil, and honey, with which I fed you, you even set it before them for a pleasant aroma; and so it was,” says the Lord Yahweh.
20 “‘“Moreover you have taken your sons and your daughters, whom you have borne to me, and you have sacrificed these to them to be devoured. Was your prostitution a small matter, 21 that you have slain my children, and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire to them? 22 In all your abominations and your prostitution you have not remembered the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, and were wallowing in your blood.
23 “‘“It has happened after all your wickedness—woe, woe to you!” says the Lord Yahweh— 24 “that you have built for yourselves a vaulted place, and have made yourselves a lofty place in every street. 25 You have built your lofty place at the head of every way, and have made your beauty an abomination, and have opened your feet to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your prostitution. 26 You have also committed sexual immorality with the Egyptians, your neighbors, great of flesh; and have multiplied your prostitution, to provoke me to anger. 27 See therefore, I have stretched out my hand over you, and have diminished your portion, and delivered you to the will of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd way. 28 You have played the prostitute also with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; yes, you have played the prostitute with them, and yet you weren’t satisfied. 29 You have moreover multiplied your prostitution to the land of merchants, to Chaldea; and yet you weren’t satisfied with this.
30 “‘“How weak is your heart,” says the Lord Yahweh, “since you do all these things, the work of an impudent prostitute; 31 in that you build your vaulted place at the head of every way, and make your lofty place in every street, and have not been as a prostitute, in that you scorn pay.
32 “‘“A wife who commits adultery! Who takes strangers instead of her husband! 33 People give gifts to all prostitutes; but you give your gifts to all your lovers, and bribe them, that they may come to you on every side for your prostitution. 34 You are different from other women in your prostitution, in that no one follows you to play the prostitute; and whereas you give hire, and no hire is given to you, therefore you are different.”’
35 “Therefore, prostitute, hear Yahweh’s word: 36 ‘The Lord Yahweh says, “Because your filthiness was poured out, and your nakedness uncovered through your prostitution with your lovers; and because of all the idols of your abominations, and for the blood of your children, that you gave to them; 37 therefore see, I will gather all your lovers, with whom you have taken pleasure, and all those whom you have loved, with all those whom you have hated. I will even gather them against you on every side, and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness. 38 I will judge you, as women who break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy. 39 I will also give you into their hand, and they will throw down your vaulted place, and break down your lofty places. They will strip you of your clothes, and take your beautiful jewels. They will leave you naked and bare. 40 They will also bring up a company against you, and they will stone you with stones, and thrust you through with their swords. 41 They will burn your houses with fire, and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women. I will cause you to cease from playing the prostitute, and you will also give no hire any more. 42 So I will cause my wrath toward you to rest, and my jealousy will depart from you. I will be quiet, and will not be angry any more.
43 “‘“Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have raged against me in all these things; therefore, behold, I also will bring your way on your head,” says the Lord Yahweh: “and you shall not commit this lewdness with all your abominations.
44 “‘“Behold, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb against you, saying, ‘As is the mother, so is her daughter.’ 45 You are the daughter of your mother, who loathes her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite, and your father an Amorite. 46 Your elder sister is Samaria, who dwells at your left hand, she and her daughters; and your younger sister, who dwells at your right hand, is Sodom with her daughters. 47 Yet you have not walked in their ways, nor done their abominations; but soon you were more corrupt than they in all your ways. 48 As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “Sodom your sister has not done, she nor her daughters, as you have done, you and your daughters.
49 “‘“Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters. She also didn’t strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 They were arrogant, and committed abomination before me. Therefore I took them away when I saw it. 51 Samaria hasn’t committed half of your sins; but you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and have justified your sisters by all your abominations which you have done. 52 You also bear your own shame yourself, in that you have given judgment for your sisters; through your sins that you have committed more abominable than they, they are more righteous than you. Yes, be also confounded, and bear your shame, in that you have justified your sisters.
53 “‘“I will reverse their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and the captivity of your captives among them; 54 that you may bear your own shame, and may be ashamed because of all that you have done, in that you are a comfort to them. 55 Your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, will return to their former estate; and Samaria and her daughters will return to their former estate; and you and your daughters will return to your former estate. 56 For your sister Sodom was not mentioned by your mouth in the day of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered, as at the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria, and of all who are around her, the daughters of the Philistines, who despise you all around. 58 You have borne your lewdness and your abominations,” says Yahweh.
59 “‘For the Lord Yahweh says: “I will also deal with you as you have done, who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant. 60 Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. 61 Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed, when you receive your sisters, your elder sisters and your younger; and I will give them to you for daughters, but not by your covenant. 62 I will establish my covenant with you. Then you will know that I am Yahweh; 63 that you may remember, and be confounded, and never open your mouth any more, because of your shame, when I have forgiven you all that you have done,” says the Lord Yahweh.’”
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Ezekiel 16
International Standard Version
A Prophecy Confronting Jerusalem
16 This message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of Man, make known to Israel her detestable practices. 3 You are to declare, ‘This is what the Lord God says to Jerusalem: “Your birth place[a] was the territory that belonged to the Canaanites. Your father was an Ammonite and your mother was a Hittite. 4 Now as to your birth, on the day you were born your umbilical cord wasn’t cut. You weren’t washed with water to clean you, and nobody rubbed you with salt. And it’s certain that you weren’t wrapped in strips of cloth. 5 Nobody pitied you to do any of these things for you, and nobody showed you any compassion. You were tossed outside on the ground, because you[b] were detested from the day you were born.
6 “‘“When I passed by you, I saw you kicking around, covered in your own blood. That’s when I told you, ‘Live!’—while you were wallowing in your blood. I commanded you to live, even as you lay there in your own blood. 7 I made you increase like sprouting grain[c] in the field. As a result, you multiplied greatly. Eventually, you reached the age when young women start wearing jewelry. Your breasts were formed, your hair had grown, but you were still bare and naked.”’”
God’s Betrothal to Jerusalem
8 “When I passed by you again, I looked at you, and noticed that it was your proper time for love. I spread my cloak[d] over you to cover your nakedness. I made a solemn promise to you and entered into a covenant with you,” declares the Lord God. “You belong to me. 9 I bathed you with water, rinsed your own blood from you, and anointed you with oil. 10 Then I covered you with embroidered clothing, clothed your feet with leather sandals, wrapped[e] you with fine linen, and dressed you in silk. 11 I adorned you with jewels, placing bracelets on your hand and necklaces on your neck. 12 I put a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a crown encrusted with jewels on your head. 13 You were adorned with gold, silver, clothing of fine linen, silk, and embroidery. You ate food made from the finest flour, honey, and olive oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, attaining royal status. 14 Your fame[f] spread throughout the nations because of your beauty. You were perfectly beautiful due to my splendor with which I endowed you,” declares the Lord God.
Jerusalem’s Arrogant Unfaithfulness
15 “But you trusted in your beauty. You did what whores do, as a result of your fame. You passed out your sexual favors[g] to anyone who passed by, giving yourself to anyone. 16 You took some of your clothes and made gaily-colored high places and prostituted yourself all around them—something which had never happened before nor will ever happen again.
17 “You also took your fine jewelry—including my gold and my silver that I had given you. Then you made for yourself male images and had sex with them! 18 You took your embroidered gowns and made clothes to cover them. Then you offered my olive oil and incense to them.
19 “Not only that, you took the food I gave you—my fine flour, olive oil, and honey with which I fed you, and you offered[h] them to those gods[i] in order to appease them.[j] That’s exactly what happened,” says the Lord God. 20 “Then you took your sons and daughters whom you bore for me and sacrificed them for your idols to eat. As though your prostitutions were an insignificant thing, 21 you also slaughtered my sons and offered them to idols, incinerating them in fire.[k] 22 Throughout all of your detestable practices and immorality, you never did remember your earlier life when you were bare, naked, and wallowing in your own blood.”
The Unfaithfulness of God’s People
23 “How terrible! How terrible it will be for all of your wickedness!” declares the Lord God. 24 “You built raised mounds and high places for yourself on every plaza. 25 At every street corner you made your beauty abhorrent when you made yourself available for sex to[l] anyone who was passing by. By doing this, you kept on committing more and more immorality. 26 Then you committed immorality with your neighbors, the Egyptians,[m] with perverted lust,[n] and by doing so you fornicated even more, provoking me to anger.
27 “Therefore, look out! I’ve reached out to oppose you. I withdrew your rations and delivered you[o] to those Philistine women who hate you. Even they were embarrassed at your wicked ways! 28 You committed immorality with the Assyrians,[p] because you still weren’t satisfied. You committed immorality with them, but you still weren’t satisfied. 29 You committed even more immorality with that land of the merchants, the Chaldeans. But you weren’t satisfied even with these!
30 “How weak is your heart,” declares the Lord God, “when you committed all of these deeds, the acts of an imperious whore! 31 When you built your mound on every street corner and constructed your high place at every plaza, you weren’t like a common prostitute, in that you’ve insulted the wages of a prostitute 32 who commits adultery, preferring a stranger over her husband!
33 “All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give your gifts to all your lovers, then you bribe them to come to you from everywhere to get your sexual favors![q] 34 You’re different from other women when you commit immorality—no one can match you in that![r] After all, you pay fees, but no fee is given to you. You’re certainly different!”
The Coming Punishment
35 “Therefore listen to this message from the Lord, you whore! 36 This is what the Lord God says: ‘Because your lust has been poured out and your nakedness has been uncovered by your acts of fornication with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols and the blood of your sons, whom you offered to them, 37 therefore, watch out! I’m about to gather all your lovers from whom you’ve received your pleasure, everyone whom you’ve loved, and those whom you’ve hated. I’ll gather them together to oppose you from every side, and they’ll uncover your nakedness in their presence. Then they’ll see you completely naked. 38 I’ll judge you with the same standards by which I issue verdicts against a woman who commits adultery and murder.[s] I’ll avenge the blood you’ve shed with impassioned wrath.[t]
39 “I’ll also deliver you into their control, and they’ll break down your mounds, tear down your high places, strip off your clothes, remove your fine jewels, and then they’ll leave you stark naked! 40 They’ll bring a mob against you to stone you to death[u] and cut you into pieces with their swords. 41 Then they’ll burn your houses and carry out my sentence[v] against you in the sight of many women.
“That’s how I’ll make you stop your prostitution so you won’t pay any prostitute’s fees anymore. 42 I’ll stop being angry with you, and I’ll cease being jealous.[w] I’ll be calm and not be indignant anymore. 43 Because you didn’t remember the time when you were young, but instead you provoked me to anger because of all these things, watch out! I’m going to bring your behavior back to haunt[x] you!” declares the Lord God. “Didn’t you do this wicked thing, in addition to all your other[y] detestable practices?”
Like Mother, Like Daughter
44 “Now, everyone who likes proverbs will quote this proverb about you, ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ 45 You’re the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and children. You’re the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children.
“Your mother was a Hittite and your father was an Amorite. 46 Your elder sister was Samaria. She and her daughters lived in the north,[z] while your younger sister who lived in the south[aa] with her daughters was Sodom. 47 It wasn’t just that you lived like they did and committed their detestable practices, but in just a little while your behavior led you to become more corrupt than they were!”
Sins of Sodom
48 “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “your sister Sodom and her daughters didn’t do what you and your daughters have done. 49 Look! This was the sin of your sister Sodom and her daughters: Pride, too much food, undisturbed peace, and failure to help[ab] the poor and needy. 50 In their arrogance, they committed detestable practices in my presence, so when I saw it, I removed them. 51 Samaria didn’t commit half of your sins—you practiced more detestable deeds than they did! You’ve caused your sister to be more righteous than you, because of the detestable practices that you’ve committed. 52 So now, bear your own shame as you mediate for your sisters. The sins that you’ve committed are more detestable than theirs. That makes them more righteous than you. Indeed, be ashamed and bear your reproach, because you’ve made your sisters to be more righteous than you.”
A Change in Circumstances
53 “I’ll bring them back from their captivity—that is, from the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, along with the captivity of Samaria and her daughters and the captivity of your captives among them. 54 But you’ll continue to bear your own reproach and be humiliated for everything that you’ve done. You’ll be a comfort to them. 55 Your sister Sodom and her daughters will be restored to their former status. Samaria and her daughters will be restored to their former status. Then you and your daughters will be restored to your former status.
56 “When you were being so arrogant, you never once mentioned your sister Sodom 57 before your wickedness was revealed. Now you’ve become an object of derision to the inhabitants[ac] of Aram and its neighbors, including the Philistines[ad]—all those around you who despise you. 58 You are to bear the punishment of your wickedness and detestable practices,” declares the Lord, 59 “since the Lord God says, ‘I’ll deal with you according to what you’ve done, when you despised your oath by breaking the covenant.
60 “‘Meanwhile, as for me, I’ll remember my covenant with you from when you were young, because I’ll establish an eternal covenant with you. 61 Then you’ll remember your behavior and be ashamed when you greet your sisters—your elder sister and your younger sister. I’ll give them to you as daughters, but not on account of my covenant with you. 62 I’ll establish my covenant with you, and then you’ll know that I am the Lord. 63 Then you will remember, be ashamed, and you won’t open your mouth anymore due to humiliation when I will have made atonement for you for everything that you’ve done,’ declares the Lord God.”
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- Ezekiel 16:3 Lit. Your origin and birth
- Ezekiel 16:5 Lit. your soul
- Ezekiel 16:7 Lit. like that which sprouts
- Ezekiel 16:8 Lit. wings
- Ezekiel 16:10 Lit. bound
- Ezekiel 16:14 Lit. name
- Ezekiel 16:15 Lit. adulteries
- Ezekiel 16:19 Or set
- Ezekiel 16:19 The Heb. lacks to those gods
- Ezekiel 16:19 Lit. gods as a pleasing aroma
- Ezekiel 16:21 The Heb. lacks in fire
- Ezekiel 16:25 Lit. you parted your legs for
- Ezekiel 16:26 Lit. sons of Egypt
- Ezekiel 16:26 Lit. with great flesh
- Ezekiel 16:27 Lit. soul
- Ezekiel 16:28 Lit. sons of Assyria
- Ezekiel 16:33 Lit. your fornications
- Ezekiel 16:34 Lit. in how you commit immorality
- Ezekiel 16:38 Lit. and one who sheds blood
- Ezekiel 16:38 Lit. wrath and passion
- Ezekiel 16:40 Lit. death with stones
- Ezekiel 16:41 Lit. and execute judgment
- Ezekiel 16:42 Lit. I’ll turn aside my jealousy from you
- Ezekiel 16:43 The Heb. lacks haunt
- Ezekiel 16:43 The Heb. lacks other
- Ezekiel 16:46 Lit. lived on your left
- Ezekiel 16:46 Lit. lived on your right
- Ezekiel 16:49 Lit. to strengthen the hand of
- Ezekiel 16:57 Lit. daughters
- Ezekiel 16:57 Lit. the daughters of the
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