Oholah and Oholibah

23 The word of the Lord came to me: (A)“Son of man, there were (B)two women, the daughters of one mother. (C)They played the whore in Egypt; (D)they played the whore (E)in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms[a] handled. Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. (F)They became mine, and they (G)bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is (H)Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

“Oholah played the whore (I)while she was mine, and (J)she lusted after her lovers (K)the Assyrians, warriors clothed in purple, (L)governors and commanders, (M)all of them desirable young men, (N)horsemen riding on horses. She bestowed her whoring upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them, and she defiled herself with all the idols of everyone after whom she lusted. She did not give up her whoring (O)that she had begun in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her and handled her virgin bosom and poured out their whoring lust upon her. Therefore (P)I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted. 10 (Q)These uncovered her nakedness; (R)they seized her sons and her daughters; and as for her, they killed her with the sword; and she became (S)a byword among women, (T)when judgment had been executed on her.

11 (U)“Her sister Oholibah saw this, and she became (V)more corrupt than her sister[b] in her lust and in her whoring, which was worse than that of her sister. 12 She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and commanders, warriors clothed in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, (W)all of them desirable young men. 13 And I saw that she was defiled; they both took the same way. 14 But she carried her whoring further. She saw men (X)portrayed on the wall, the (Y)images of (Z)the Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion, 15 wearing belts on their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them having the appearance of officers, a likeness of Babylonians whose native land was Chaldea. 16 When she saw them, she lusted after them and (AA)sent messengers to them (AB)in Chaldea. 17 And the Babylonians came to her (AC)into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, (AD)she turned from them in disgust. 18 When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister. 19 Yet she increased her whoring, (AE)remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt 20 and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. 21 Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressed[c] your young breasts.”

22 Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will stir up against you your lovers (AF)from whom you turned in disgust, (AG)and I will bring them against you from every side: 23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, (AH)Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, (AI)desirable young men, (AJ)governors and commanders all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses. 24 And they shall come against you from the north[d] with chariots and wagons and a host of peoples. (AK)They shall set themselves against you on every side with buckler, shield, and helmet; and (AL)I will commit the judgment to them, and (AM)they shall judge you according to their judgments. 25 And I will direct my jealousy against you, (AN)that they may deal with you in fury. They shall cut off your nose and your ears, and your survivors shall fall by the sword. (AO)They shall seize your sons and your daughters, and your survivors shall be devoured by fire. 26 (AP)They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels. 27 (AQ)Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and (AR)your whoring begun in the land of Egypt, so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.

28 “For thus says the Lord God: (AS)Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, (AT)into the hands of those from whom you turned in disgust, 29 and (AU)they shall deal with you in hatred and take away all the fruit of your labor (AV)and leave you naked and bare, and (AW)the nakedness of your whoring shall be uncovered. Your lewdness and your whoring 30 have brought this upon you, because (AX)you played the whore with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. 31 You have gone the way of your sister; (AY)therefore I will give (AZ)her cup into your hand. 32 Thus says the Lord God:

“You shall drink your sister's cup
    that is deep and large;
you shall be laughed at and held in derision,
    for it contains much;
33 you will be filled with (BA)drunkenness and sorrow.
(BB)A cup of horror and desolation,
    the cup of (BC)your sister Samaria;
34 (BD)you shall drink it and drain it out,
    and gnaw its shards,
    and tear your breasts;

for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. 35 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because (BE)you have forgotten me and (BF)cast me behind your back, you yourself (BG)must bear the consequences of your lewdness and whoring.”

36 The Lord said to me: (BH)“Son of man, (BI)will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations. 37 For (BJ)they have committed adultery, (BK)and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even (BL)offered up[e] to them for food the children whom they had borne to me. 38 Moreover, this they have done to me: (BM)they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and (BN)profaned my Sabbaths. 39 For when (BO)they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day (BP)they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, (BQ)this is what they did in my house. 40 They even sent for men to come from afar, (BR)to whom a messenger was sent; and behold, they came. For them you bathed yourself, (BS)painted your eyes, (BT)and adorned yourself with ornaments. 41 You sat on (BU)a stately couch, with a table spread before it (BV)on which you had placed my incense and (BW)my oil. 42 The (BX)sound of a carefree multitude was with her; and with men of the common sort, drunkards[f] were brought from the wilderness; and they put (BY)bracelets on the hands of the women, and (BZ)beautiful crowns on their heads.

43 “Then I said of her who was worn out by adultery, ‘Now they will continue to use her for a whore, even her!’[g] 44 For they have gone in to her, as men go in to a prostitute. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, lewd women! 45 But righteous men (CA)shall pass judgment on them with the sentence of adulteresses, and with the sentence of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.”

46 For thus says the Lord God: (CB)“Bring up a vast host against them, and make them (CC)an object of terror and (CD)a plunder. 47 (CE)And the host shall stone them and cut them down with their swords. (CF)They shall kill their sons and their daughters, and (CG)burn up their houses. 48 (CH)Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not commit lewdness as you have done. 49 And they shall return your lewdness upon you, and (CI)you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and (CJ)you shall know that I am the Lord God.”

The Siege of Jerusalem

24 (CK)In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: (CL)“Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. And (CM)utter a parable to (CN)the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God:

“Set on (CO)the pot, set it on;
    pour in water also;
put in it the pieces of meat,
    all the good pieces, (CP)the thigh and the shoulder;
    fill it with choice bones.
Take the choicest one of the flock;
    pile the logs[h] under it;
boil it well;
    seethe also its bones in it.

“Therefore thus says the Lord God: (CQ)Woe to the bloody city, to (CR)the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice.[i] For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on (CS)the bare rock; (CT)she did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust. To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set on the bare rock the blood she has shed, that it may not be covered. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city! (CU)I also will make the pile great. 10 Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in the spices,[j] and let the bones be burned up. 11 Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn, (CV)that its uncleanness may be melted in it, its corrosion consumed. 12 (CW)She has wearied herself with toil;[k] its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion! 13 On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, (CX)you shall not be cleansed anymore till (CY)I have satisfied my fury upon you. 14 (CZ)I am the Lord. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; (DA)I will not spare; (DB)I will not relent; (DC)according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord God.”

Ezekiel's Wife Dies

15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 (DD)“Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. 17 Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. (DE)Bind on your turban, and (DF)put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, (DG)nor eat the bread of men.” 18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and (DH)at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did (DI)as I was commanded.

19 And (DJ)the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?” 20 Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: 21 ‘Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: (DK)Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and (DL)your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. 22 And (DM)you shall do as I have done; (DN)you shall not cover your lips, (DO)nor eat the bread of men. 23 (DP)Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but (DQ)you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. 24 Thus shall Ezekiel be to you (DR)a sign; (DS)according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then (DT)you will know that I am the Lord God.’

25 “As for you, (DU)son of man, surely on the day when I take from them (DV)their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul's desire, and also their sons and daughters, 26 (DW)on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news. 27 On that day your mouth (DX)will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. (DY)So you will be a sign to them, and (DZ)they will know that I am the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 23:3 Hebrew nipples; also verses 8, 21
  2. Ezekiel 23:11 Hebrew than she
  3. Ezekiel 23:21 Vulgate, Syriac; Hebrew bosom for the sake of
  4. Ezekiel 23:24 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown
  5. Ezekiel 23:37 Or have even made pass through the fire
  6. Ezekiel 23:42 Or Sabeans
  7. Ezekiel 23:43 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
  8. Ezekiel 24:5 Compare verse 10; Hebrew the bones
  9. Ezekiel 24:6 Hebrew no lot has fallen upon it
  10. Ezekiel 24:10 Or empty out the broth
  11. Ezekiel 24:12 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

Two Adulterous Sisters

23 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.(A) They became prostitutes in Egypt,(B) engaging in prostitution(C) from their youth.(D) In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.(E) 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.(F)

“Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians(G)—warriors(H) clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. 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.(I) She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt,(J) when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.(K)

“Therefore I delivered her into the hands(L) of her lovers,(M) the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.(N) 10 They stripped(O) her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women,(P) and punishment was inflicted(Q) on her.(R)

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

14 “But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall,(W) figures of Chaldeans[a] portrayed in red,(X) 15 with belts(Y) around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.[b] 16 As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers(Z) to them in Chaldea.(AA) 17 Then the Babylonians(AB) 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.(AC) 18 When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body,(AD) I turned away(AE) from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.(AF) 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.[c](AG)

22 “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers(AH) against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side(AI) 23 the Babylonians(AJ) and all the Chaldeans,(AK) the men of Pekod(AL) and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses.(AM) 24 They will come against you with weapons,[d] chariots and wagons(AN) and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment,(AO) and they will punish you according to their standards. 25 I will direct my jealous anger(AP) against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters,(AQ) and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire.(AR) 26 They will also strip(AS) you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry.(AT) 27 So I will put a stop(AU) to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.

28 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands(AV) of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. 29 They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked,(AW) and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed.(AX) Your lewdness(AY) and promiscuity(AZ) 30 have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.(BA) 31 You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup(BB) into your hand.(BC)

32 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“You will drink your sister’s cup,
    a cup large and deep;
it will bring scorn and derision,(BD)
    for it holds so much.(BE)
33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
    the cup of ruin and desolation,
    the cup of your sister Samaria.(BF)
34 You will drink it(BG) and drain it dry
    and chew on its pieces—
    and you will tear your breasts.

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.(BH)

35 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgotten(BI) me and turned your back on me,(BJ) you must bear(BK) the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”

36 The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront(BL) them with their detestable practices,(BM) 37 for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them.(BN) 38 They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary(BO) and desecrated my Sabbaths.(BP) 39 On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated(BQ) it. That is what they did in my house.(BR)

40 “They even sent messengers for men who came from far away,(BS) and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup(BT) and put on your jewelry.(BU) 41 You sat on an elegant couch,(BV) with a table(BW) spread before it on which you had placed the incense(BX) and olive oil that belonged to me.(BY)

42 “The noise of a carefree(BZ) crowd was around her; drunkards(CA) were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets(CB) on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads.(CC) 43 Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute,(CD) for that is all she is.’ 44 And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah. 45 But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood,(CE) because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.(CF)

46 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring a mob(CG) against them and give them over to terror and plunder.(CH) 47 The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters(CI) and burn(CJ) down their houses.(CK)

48 “So I will put an end(CL) to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you.(CM) 49 You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry.(CN) Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.(CO)

Jerusalem as a Cooking Pot

24 In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the Lord came to me:(CP) “Son of man, record(CQ) this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.(CR) Tell this rebellious people(CS) a parable(CT) and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Put on the cooking pot;(CU) put it on
    and pour water into it.
Put into it the pieces of meat,
    all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder.
Fill it with the best of these bones;(CV)
    take the pick of the flock.(CW)
Pile wood beneath it for the bones;
    bring it to a boil
    and cook the bones in it.(CX)

“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Woe(CY) to the city of bloodshed,(CZ)
    to the pot now encrusted,
    whose deposit will not go away!
Take the meat out piece by piece
    in whatever order(DA) it comes.(DB)

“‘For the blood she shed is in her midst:
    She poured it on the bare rock;
she did not pour it on the ground,
    where the dust would cover it.(DC)
To stir up wrath and take revenge
    I put her blood on the bare rock,
    so that it would not be covered.

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Woe to the city of bloodshed!
    I, too, will pile the wood high.
10 So heap on the wood
    and kindle the fire.
Cook the meat well,
    mixing in the spices;
    and let the bones be charred.
11 Then set the empty pot on the coals
    till it becomes hot and its copper glows,
so that its impurities may be melted
    and its deposit burned away.(DD)
12 It has frustrated all efforts;
    its heavy deposit has not been removed,
    not even by fire.

13 “‘Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed(DE) from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.(DF)

14 “‘I the Lord have spoken.(DG) The time has come for me to act.(DH) I will not hold back; I will not have pity,(DI) nor will I relent.(DJ) You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions,(DK) declares the Sovereign Lord.(DL)’”

Ezekiel’s Wife Dies

15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 “Son of man, with one blow(DM) I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.(DN) Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.(DO) 17 Groan quietly;(DP) do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban(DQ) fastened and your sandals(DR) on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard(DS) or eat the customary food of mourners.(DT)

18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.(DU)

19 Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us?(DV) Why are you acting like this?”

20 So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: 21 Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary(DW)—the stronghold in which you take pride,(DX) the delight of your eyes,(DY) the object of your affection. The sons and daughters(DZ) you left behind will fall by the sword.(EA) 22 And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard(EB) or eat the customary food of mourners.(EC) 23 You will keep your turbans(ED) on your heads and your sandals(EE) on your feet. You will not mourn(EF) or weep but will waste away(EG) because of[e] your sins and groan among yourselves.(EH) 24 Ezekiel(EI) will be a sign(EJ) to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’

25 “And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes,(EK) their heart’s desire,(EL) and their sons and daughters(EM) as well— 26 on that day a fugitive will come to tell you(EN) the news. 27 At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent.(EO) So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.(EP)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 23:14 Or Babylonians
  2. Ezekiel 23:15 Or Babylonia; also in verse 16
  3. Ezekiel 23:21 Syriac (see also verse 3); Hebrew caressed because of your young breasts
  4. Ezekiel 23:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  5. Ezekiel 24:23 Or away in