Ezekiel 23

1 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,NHEB — Ezekiel 23:1

2 "Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:NHEB — Ezekiel 23:2

3 and they played the prostitute in Egypt; they played the prostitute in their youth; there were their breasts pressed, and there was handled the bosom of their virginity.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:3

4 Their names were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister: and they became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem Oholibah.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:4

5 "Oholah played the prostitute when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors,NHEB — Ezekiel 23:5

6 who were clothed with blue, governors and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:6

7 She bestowed her prostitution on them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them; and on whoever she doted, with all their idols she defiled herself.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:7

8 Neither has she left her prostitution since the days of Egypt; for in her youth they lay with her, and they handled the bosom of her virginity; and they poured out their prostitution on her.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:8

9 Therefore I delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, on whom she doted.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:9

10 These uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters; and her they killed with the sword: and she became a byword among women; for they executed judgments on her.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:10

11 "Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet was she more corrupt in her doting than she, and in her prostitution which were more than the prostitution of her sister.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:11

12 She doted on the Assyrians, governors and rulers, her neighbors, clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:12

13 I saw that she was defiled; they both took one way.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:13

14 She increased her prostitution; for she saw men portrayed on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion,NHEB — Ezekiel 23:14

15 wearing belts on their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, after the likeness of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:15

16 As soon as she saw them she doted on them, and sent messengers to them into Chaldea.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:16

17 The Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their prostitution, and she was polluted with them, and her soul was alienated from them.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:17

18 So she uncovered her prostitution, and uncovered her nakedness: then my soul was alienated from her, like as my soul was alienated from her sister.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:18

19 Yet she multiplied her prostitution, remembering the days of her youth, in which she had played the prostitute in the land of Egypt.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:19

20 She doted on their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of donkeys, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:20

21 Thus you called to memory the lewdness of your youth, in the handling of your bosom by the Egyptians for the breasts of your youth.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:21

22 "Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the LORD: 'Look, I will raise up your lovers against you, from whom your soul is alienated, and I will bring them against you on every side:NHEB — Ezekiel 23:22

23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them; desirable young men, all of them governors and officials, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:23

24 And they shall come against you armed with chariots, and wagons, and with a huge army; they shall come against you on every side with large shields and small shields and helmet; and I will commit the judgment to them, and they will judge you by their own standards.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:24

25 I will set my jealousy against you, and they shall deal with you in fury; they shall take away your nose and your ears; and your residue shall fall by the sword: they shall take your sons and your daughters; and your residue shall be devoured by the fire.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:25

26 They shall also strip you of your clothes, and take away your beautiful jewels.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:26

27 Thus will I make your lewdness to cease from you, and your prostitution brought from the land of Egypt; so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them, nor remember Egypt any more.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:27

28 "'For thus says the LORD: Look, I will deliver you into the hand of them whom you hate, into the hand of them from whom your soul is alienated;NHEB — Ezekiel 23:28

29 and they shall deal with you in hatred, and shall take away all your labor, and shall leave you naked and bare; and the nakedness of your prostitution shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your prostitution.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:29

30 These things shall be done to you, because you have played the prostitute after the nations, and because you are polluted with their idols.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:30

31 You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand.'NHEB — Ezekiel 23:31

32 "Thus says the LORD: 'You will drink of your sister's cup, which is deep and large; you will be ridiculed and held in derision; it contains much.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:32

33 You shall be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of your sister Samaria.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:33

34 You shall even drink it and drain it out, and you shall gnaw the broken pieces of it, and shall tear your breasts; for I have spoken it,' says the LORD.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:34

35 "Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Because you have forgotten me, and cast me behind your back, therefore you also bear your lewdness and your prostitution.'"NHEB — Ezekiel 23:35

36 The LORD said moreover to me: "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:36

37 For they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands; and with their idols have they committed adultery; and they have also caused their sons, whom they bore to me, to pass through the fire to them to be devoured.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:37

38 Moreover this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my Sabbaths.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:38

39 For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and look, thus have they done in the midst of my house.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:39

40 "'Furthermore you have sent for men who come from far, to whom a messenger was sent, and look, they came; for whom you did wash yourself, paint your eyes, and decorate yourself with ornaments,NHEB — Ezekiel 23:40

41 and sit on a stately bed, with a table prepared before it, whereupon you set my incense and my oil.'NHEB — Ezekiel 23:41

42 The voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and with men of the common sort were brought drunkards from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on their hands twain, and beautiful crowns on their heads.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:42

43 Then I said of her who was old in adulteries, 'Now will they play the prostitute with her, and she with them.'NHEB — Ezekiel 23:43

44 They went in to her, as they go in to a prostitute: so went they in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd women.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:44

45 Righteous men, they shall judge them with the judgment of adulteresses, and with the judgment of women who shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:45

46 "For thus says the LORD: 'I will bring up a company against them, and will give them to be tossed back and forth and robbed.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:46

47 The company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:47

48 'Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness.NHEB — Ezekiel 23:48

49 They shall recompense your lewdness on you, and you shall bear the sins of your idols; and you shall know that I am the LORD.'"NHEB — Ezekiel 23:49