Beginning
Samaria and Jerusalem
23 The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], a woman had two daughters. 3 While they were young, they went to Egypt and became prostitutes. They let men ·touch [fondle] and hold their virgin breasts. 4 The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became my wives and had sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem [C both names are related to the Hebrew word for “tent,” and refer to the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah].
5 “While ·still my wife [L she was mine], ·Samaria [L Oholah] ·had sexual relations with other men [engaged in prostitution]. She ·had great sexual desire for [lusted after] her lovers, men from Assyria. The Assyrians were warriors ·and 6 wore blue uniforms [clothed in blue]. They were all ·handsome [desirable] young men, ·captains [or governors] and ·lieutenants [commanders] riding on horseback. 7 ·Samaria [L She] became a prostitute for all the ·important [elite] men in Assyria and ·made herself unclean [defiled herself] with all the idols of everyone she desired. 8 She ·continued [did not give up] the prostitution she began in Egypt. When she was young, she had slept with men, and they ·touched [fondled] her virgin breasts and ·had sexual relations with [L poured out their lust on] her.
9 “So I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians, ·that she wanted so badly [for whom she lusted]. 10 They ·stripped her naked [L uncovered her nakedness; 16:37] and took away her sons and daughters. Then they killed her with a sword [C referring to the fall of Samaria to the Assyrians in 722–721 bc]. ·Women everywhere began talking [It became notorious/a byword among women] about how she had been punished.
11 “Her sister ·Jerusalem [L Oholibah; v. 4] saw what happened, but she became ·worse [more depraved/corrupt] than her sister in her sexual ·desire [lust] and prostitution. 12 She also desired the Assyrians, who were all soldiers in ·beautiful uniforms [full dress; or full armor]—·handsome [desirable] young ·captains [or governors] and ·lieutenants [commanders] riding horses. 13 I saw that both girls were alike; both were ·prostitutes [defiled; C ritually].
14 “But ·Jerusalem went [L she increased her prostitution] even further. She saw carvings of ·Babylonian [L Chaldean] men on a wall. They wore red [Jer. 22:14] 15 and had belts around their waists and turbans on their heads. They all looked like chariot officers ·born in Babylonia [L the image of sons of Babel, natives of Chaldea]. 16 When she saw them, she ·wanted to have sexual relations with [lusted after] them and sent messengers to them in ·Babylonia [L Chaldea; C depicting Judah’s attempt at alliances with Babylon; 2 Kin. 20:12–15; 23:34—24:1]. 17 So these Babylonian men came ·and had sexual relations with her [to her bed of love] and ·made her unclean [L defiled her with their lust; C ritually]. After that, she ·became sick of them [turned away in disgust]. 18 But she ·continued her prostitution so openly that everyone knew about it [L uncovered her prostitution and uncovered her nakedness]. And I ·finally became sick of her [turned away from her in disgust], as I had her sister. 19 But she remembered how she was a young prostitute in Egypt, so she took part in even more prostitution. 20 She ·wanted men [lusted after lovers] ·who behaved like animals in their sexual desire [or whose genitals/L flesh were the size/L flesh of donkeys and seminal emission like that of horses]. 21 In the same way you ·desired to do the sinful things you had done [longed for the lewdness of your youth] in Egypt. There men ·touched [fondled] and ·held [caressed] your young breasts.
God’s Judgment on Jerusalem
22 “So, ·Jerusalem [L Oholibah; v. 4], this is what the Lord God says: You ·are tired of [turned in disgust from] your lovers. So [L look; T behold] now I will ·make them angry with [L stir them up against] you and ·have them attack [L bring them against] you from all sides [C a description of the siege of Jerusalem]. 23 Men from Babylon and all ·Babylonia [L the Chaldeans] and men from Pekod, Shoa, and Koa attack you [C people groups from the Mesopotamian region]. All the Assyrians will attack you: ·handsome [desirable] young ·captains [or governors] and ·lieutenants [commanders], all of them ·important men [officers and nobles] and all riding horses. 24 Those men will attack with ·great armies [a host of people/nations] and with their weapons, chariots, and wagons. They will ·surround you [L take up positions against you on every side] with large and small shields and with helmets. And I will ·give them the right to punish you [L assign judgment to them], and they will ·give you their own kind of punishment [or judge you by their own standards]. 25 Then ·you will see how strong my anger can be [or I will direct my jealous anger against you] when they ·punish [deal with] you in their anger. They will cut off your noses and ears [C acts of torture and humiliation]. They will ·take away [seize] your sons and daughters, and those who are left will be ·burned [consumed/devoured by fire]. 26 They will ·take [strip] off your clothes and steal your beautiful jewelry. 27 I will put a stop to the ·sinful life [lewd/obscene behavior] you began when you were in Egypt so that you will not ·desire it [or seek their help; L lift up your eyes to them] or remember Egypt anymore.
28 “This is what the Lord God says: You became ·tired of [disgusted with] your lovers, but I am going to hand you over to those men you now hate. 29 They will treat you with hate and take away everything you worked for, leaving you empty and naked. ·Everyone will know about the sinful things you did [L The nakedness of your prostitution will be uncovered]. Your ·sexual sins [lewdness and promiscuity] 30 have brought this on you. You have ·had sexual relations with [prostituted yourself with] the nations and ·made yourselves unclean [defiled yourself] by worshiping their idols. 31 You ·did the same things your sister did [L went the way of your sister; vv. 9–10], so ·you will get the same punishment, like a bitter cup to drink [L I will put her cup in your hand].
32 “This is what the Lord God says:
You will drink the same cup your sister did,
and that cup is deep and wide [C the cup of judgment; Jer. 25:15–29].
·Everyone will make fun of you [You will be mocked and derided],
because the cup ·is full [holds much].
33 It will ·make you miserable and drunk [L fill you with drunkenness and sorrow].
It is the cup of ·fear [horror; or ruin] and ·ruin [devastation].
It is the cup of your sister Samaria.
34 You will drink ·everything in [L and drain] it,
and then you will ·smash it [or chew on its pieces]
and tear at your breasts.
I have spoken, says the Lord God.
35 “So this is what the Lord God says: You have forgotten me and ·turned your back on me [L cast me behind your back]. So you ·will be punished [must bear the consequences] for your ·sexual sins [L lewdness and prostitution].”
Judgment on Samaria and Jerusalem
36 The Lord said to me: “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], will you judge ·Samaria [L Oholah] and ·Jerusalem [L Oholibah], ·showing [declaring to] them their ·hateful [detestable; abominable] acts? 37 They are guilty of adultery and ·murder [L blood is on their hands]. They have taken part in adultery with their idols. They even offered ·our children [L the children they bore to me] as sacrifices in the fire to be food for these idols. 38 They have also done this to me: They ·made my Temple unclean [defiled my sanctuary; C ritually] at the same time they ·dishonored [defiled; profaned; C ritually] my Sabbaths. 39 They ·sacrificed [slaughtered] their children to their idols. Then they entered my Temple at that very time to ·dishonor [desecrate; profane; C ritually] it. That is what they did inside my ·Temple [L house]!
40 “They even sent for men from far away, who came after a messenger was sent to them. You bathed yourselves for them, painted your eyes, and put on jewelry [2 Kin. 9:30; Jer. 4:30]. 41 You sat on a ·fine bed [luxurious couch] with a table set before it, on which you put my incense and my oil.
42 “There was the noise of a ·reckless [or carefree] crowd in the city. Common people gathered, and ·drunkards [or Sabaeans; C inhabitants of Sheba, in present-day Yemen] were brought from the ·desert [wilderness]. They put bracelets on the wrists of the two sisters and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 Then I said about the one who was worn out by her acts of adultery, ‘Let them continue their ·sexual sins [prostitution] with her. ·She is nothing but a prostitute [L …even her].’ 44 They kept going to her as they would go to a prostitute. So they continued to go to ·Samaria [L Oholah] and ·Jerusalem [L Oholibah; v. 4], these ·shameful [lewd; obscene] women. 45 But men who ·do right [are righteous] will ·punish them as they punish [judge them with the judgment against] women who take part in adultery and who ·murder people [shed blood], because they are guilty of adultery and ·murder [L blood is on their hands].
46 “This is what the Lord God says: Bring together a mob against ·Samaria and Jerusalem [L them] and hand them over to ·be frightened and robbed [terror and plunder]. 47 Let the ·mob [army; host] stone them, and let them cut them down with their swords. Let them kill their sons and daughters and burn their houses down.
48 “So I will put an end to ·sexual sins [lewdness; obscenity] in the land. Then all women will be warned, and they will not ·do the sexual sins you have done [practice the same wickedness]. 49 ·You will be punished [L They will repay you] for your ·sexual sins [lewdness; obscenity] and the sin of worshiping idols. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.”
The Pot and the Meat
24 The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me in the ninth year [C since King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month [C January 15, 588 bc]. He said: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], write down ·today’s date [L the name of this day], this very ·date [L day]. The king of Babylon has ·surrounded [laid siege to] Jerusalem this very day. 3 And tell a ·story [parable] to the ·people who refuse to obey me [L rebellious house]. Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says:
Put on the pot; put it on
and pour water in it.
4 Put in the pieces of meat,
the best pieces—the ·legs [thighs] and the shoulders.
Fill it with the best bones.
5 Take the best of the flock,
and pile ·wood [or bones] under the pot.
Boil the pieces of meat
until even the bones are cooked.
6 “‘This is what the Lord God says:
·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] the city of ·murderers [L blood]!
·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] the ·rusty [corroded; rotted] pot
whose ·rust [corrosion; rot] will not come off!
Take the meat out of it, piece by piece.
·Don’t choose any special piece [or Don’t cast lots for any of it].
7 “‘The blood ·from her killings [L she shed] is still in ·the city [her midst].
She poured the blood on the bare rock.
She did not pour it on the ground
where dust would cover it.
8 To stir up my ·anger [wrath] and ·revenge [vengeance],
I put ·the blood she spilled [L her blood] on the bare rock
so it will not be covered.
9 “‘So this is what the Lord God says:
·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] the city of ·murderers [L blood]!
I myself will pile the wood high [C for burning].
10 Pile up the wood
and ·light [kindle] the fire.
Cook the meat well.
·Mix in the spices [or Pour out all the broth],
and let the bones burn.
11 Then set the empty pot on the coals
so it may become hot and its copper sides glow.
·The dirty scum stuck inside it [So that its impurities/uncleanness] may then melt
and its ·rust [corrosion; rot] burn away.
12 ·But efforts to clean the pot have failed [L It has wearied itself with toil].
Its heavy ·rust [corrosion; rot] cannot be removed,
·even in the fire [or Into the fire with its rust/corrosion!].
13 “‘By your ·sinful action [lewdness; obscenity] you have become ·unclean [defiled; C ritually]]. I wanted to cleanse you, but you are still unclean. You will never be cleansed from your sin until my ·anger [wrath] against you is ·carried out [satisfied; exhausted].
14 “‘I, the Lord, have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not ·hold back punishment [relent] or feel pity or ·change my mind [or be sorry]. I will judge you by your ways and actions, says the Lord God.’”
The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife
15 Then the ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 16 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], I am going to take ·your wife from you, the woman you look at with love [L the delight of your eyes]. ·She will die suddenly […with a stroke/blow/jolt], but you must not ·be sad [lament] or ·cry loudly [weep] for her or shed any tears. 17 Groan silently; do not ·cry loudly [mourn] for the dead. ·Tie [Wrap; Bind] on your turban [C normally taken off for mourning], and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your ·face [lower face; or mustache], and do not eat the ·food people eat when they are sad about a death [or food brought by others; L bread of men].”
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.
19 Then the people asked me, “·Tell [L Won’t you tell…?] us, what do the things you are doing mean for us?”
20 Then I said to them, “The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me. He said, 21 ‘Say to the ·people [L house] of Israel, This is what the Lord God says: I am going to ·dishonor [desecrate; profane; C ritually] my ·Temple [sanctuary]. ·You are proud of the strength it gives you [L …the pride of your power] and ·you look at it with love and tenderness [L …the delight of your eyes and the desire of your soul]. But your sons and daughters that you left behind in Jerusalem will fall dead by the sword. 22 When that happens, you will act as I have: you will not cover your ·face [lower face; or mustache], and you will not eat the ·food people eat when they are sad about a death [or food brought by others; L bread of men]. 23 Your turbans will stay on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You will not ·cry loudly [mourn or weep], but you will rot away ·in your sins [or because of your sins/iniquities] and groan to each other. 24 So Ezekiel is to be an ·example [sign; object lesson] for you. You will do all the same things he did. When all this happens, you will know that I am the Lord God.’
25 “And as for you, ·human [T son of man; 2:1], this is how it will be. I will take away ·the Temple that gives them strength and joy, that makes them proud [L their stronghold, their joy, and glory]. ·They look at it with love, and it makes them happy [L …the delight of their eyes and the desire of their soul; v. 21]. And I will take away their sons and daughters also. 26 ·At that time [L On that day] a ·person who escapes [fugitive] will come to you with information for you to hear. 27 ·At that time [L On that day] your mouth will be opened. You will speak and be silent no more. So you will be a sign for them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”
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