Ezekiel 22:17-23:21

New International Version

¹⁷ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁸ “Son of man, the people of Israel have become dross^(A) to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace.^(B) They are but the dross of silver.^{(C) 19} Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you have all become dross,^(D) I will gather you into Jerusalem. ²⁰ As silver, copper, iron, lead and tin are gathered into a furnace to be melted with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you.^{(E) 21} I will gather you and I will blow^(F) on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her.^{(G) 22} As silver is melted^(H) in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the Lord have poured out my wrath^(I) on you.’”^(J)

²³ Again the word of the Lord came to me: ²⁴ “Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.’^{(K) 25} There is a conspiracy^(L) of her princes^[a] within her like a roaring lion^(M) tearing its prey; they devour people,^(N) take treasures and precious things and make many widows^(O) within her. ²⁶ Her priests do violence to my law^(P) and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common;^(Q) they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean;^(R) and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned^(S) among them.^{(T) 27} Her officials^(U) within her are like wolves^(V) tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people^(W) to make unjust gain.^{(X) 28} Her prophets whitewash^(Y) these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations.^(Z) They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.^{(AA) 29} The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery;^(AB) they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner,^(AC) denying them justice.^(AD)

³⁰ “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall^(AE) and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.^{(AF) 31} So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger,^(AG) bringing down^(AH) on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AI)”

Two Adulterous Sisters

23 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.^{(AJ) 3} They became prostitutes in Egypt,^(AK) engaging in prostitution^(AL) from their youth.^(AM) In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.^{(AN) 4} The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.^(AO)

⁵ “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians^(AP)—warriors^{(AQ) 6} clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. ⁷ She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after.^{(AR) 8} She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt,^(AS) when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.^(AT)

⁹ “Therefore I delivered her into the hands^(AU) of her lovers,^(AV) the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.^{(AW) 10} They stripped^(AX) her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women,^(AY) and punishment was inflicted^(AZ) on her.^(BA)

¹¹ “Her sister Oholibah saw this,^(BB) yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.^{(BC) 12} She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men.^{(BD) 13} I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.^(BE)

¹⁴ “But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall,^(BF) figures of Chaldeans^[b] portrayed in red,^{(BG) 15} with belts^(BH) around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.^{[c] 16} As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers^(BI) to them in Chaldea.^{(BJ) 17} Then the Babylonians^(BK) came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.^{(BL) 18} When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body,^(BM) I turned away^(BN) from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.^{(BO) 19} Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. ²⁰ There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. ²¹ So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.^[d](BP)