Ezekiel 23 (JPS)

1And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2'Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother;“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,

3and they committed harlotries in Egypt; they committed harlotries in their youth; there were their bosoms pressed, and there their virgin breasts were bruised.and they played in Egypt, prostituting themselves from their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin bosoms caressed.

4And the names of them were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister; and they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem Oholibah.The older was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their identities, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

5And Oholah played the harlot when she was Mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians, warriors,Oholah prostituted herself while she was still Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors

6clothed with blue, governors and rulers, handsome young men all of them, horsemen riding upon horses.clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all desirable young men, horsemen mounted on steeds.

7And she bestowed her harlotries upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them; and on whomsoever she doted, with all their idols she defiled herself.She offered sexual favors to all the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all the idols of those for whom she lusted.

8Neither hath she left her harlotries brought from Egypt; for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised her virgin breasts; and they poured out their lust upon her.She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when men slept with her in her youth, caressed her virgin bosom, and poured out their lust upon her.

9Wherefore I delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians for whom she lusted.

10These uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, and her they slew with the sword; and she became a byword among women, for judgments were executed upon her.They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and put her to the sword. Thus she became a byword among women, and they executed judgment against her.

11And her sister Oholibah saw this, yet was she more corrupt in her doting than she, and in her harlotries more than her sister in her harlotries.Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.

12She doted upon the Assyrians, governors and rulers, warriors, clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them handsome young men.She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors dressed in splendor, horsemen riding on steeds, all desirable young men.

13And I saw that she was defiled; they both took one way.And I saw that she too had defiled herself; both of them had taken the same path.

14And she increased her harlotries; for she saw men portrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion,But Oholibah carried her prostitution even further. She saw the men portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans, engraved in vermilion,

15girded with girdles upon their loins, with pendant turbans upon their heads, all of them captains to look upon, the likeness of the sons of Babylon, even of Chaldea, the land of their nativity.wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like officers of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth.

16And as soon as she saw them she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.At the sight of them, she lusted for them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.

17And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their lust; and she was polluted with them, and her soul was alienated from them.Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. But after she had been defiled by them, she turned away in disgust.

18So she uncovered her harlotries, and uncovered her nakedness; then My soul was alienated from her, like as My soul was alienated from her sister.When Oholibah openly prostituted herself and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.

19Yet she multiplied her harlotries, remembering the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.Yet she multiplied her promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth, when she had prostituted herself in the land of Egypt

20And she doted upon concubinage with them, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.and lusted after their lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions.

21Thus thou didst call to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, when they from Egypt bruised thy breasts for the bosom of thy youth.So you revisited the indecency of your youth, when the Egyptians caressed your bosom and pressed your young breasts.

22Therefore, O Oholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy soul is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side:Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will incite your lovers against you, those from whom you turned away in disgust. And I will bring them against you from every side—

23the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, governors and rulers all of them, captains and councillors, all of them riding upon horses.the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them—all desirable young men, governors and commanders, officers and men of renown, mounted on horses.

24And they shall come against thee with hosts, chariots, and wheels, and with an assembly of peoples; they shall set themselves in array against thee with buckler and shield and helmet round about; and I will commit the judgment unto them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments.They will come against you with a host of peoples, with weapons, chariots, and wagons. They will array themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet. I will delegate judgment to them, and they will punish you according to their own standards.

25And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal with thee in fury; they shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy residue shall fall by the sword; they shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.And I will set My jealous rage against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and ears, and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters, and your remnant will be consumed by fire.

26They shall also strip thee of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels.They will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry.

27Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy harlotry brought from the land of Egypt, so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more.So I will put an end to your indecency and prostitution, which began in the land of Egypt, and you will not lift your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.’

28For thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest, into the hand of them from whom thy soul is alienated;For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hands of those you hate, from whom you turned away in disgust.

29and they shall deal with thee in hatred, and shall take away all thy labour, and shall leave thee naked and bare; and the nakedness of thy harlotries shall be uncovered, both thy lewdness and thy harlotries.They will treat you with hatred, take all for which you have worked, and leave you naked and bare, so that the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your indecency and promiscuity

30These things shall be done unto thee, for that thou hast gone astray after the nations, and because thou art polluted with their idols.have brought these things upon you, because you have prostituted yourself with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.

31In the way of thy sister hast thou walked; therefore will I give her cup into thy hand.Because you have followed the path of your sister, I will put her cup into your hand.’

32Thus saith the Lord GOD: Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup, which is deep and large; thou shalt be for a scorn and a derision; it is full to the uttermost.This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You will drink your sister’s cup, a cup deep and wide. It will bring scorn and derision, for it holds so much.

33Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and appalment, with the cup of thy sister Samaria.You will be filled with drunkenness and grief, with a cup of devastation and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria.

34Thou shalt even drink it and drain it, and thou shalt craunch the sherds thereof, and shalt tear thy breasts; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.You will drink it and drain it; you will dash it to pieces, and tear your breasts. For I have spoken,’ declares the Lord GOD.

35Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Because thou hast forgotten Me, and cast Me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy harlotries.'Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have forgotten Me and have cast Me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and prostitution.’”

36The LORD said moreover unto me: 'Son of man, wilt thou judge Oholah and Oholibah? then declare unto them their abominations.Then the LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you pass judgment against Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.

37For they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery; and their sons, whom they bore unto Me, they have also set apart unto them to be devoured.For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, in the fire as food for their idols.

38Moreover this they have done unto Me: they have defiled My sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned My sabbaths.They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths.

39For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into My sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of My house.On the very day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary to profane it. Yes, they did this inside My house.

40And furthermore ye have sent for men that come from far; unto whom a messenger was sent, and, lo, they came; for whom thou didst wash thyself, paint thine eyes, and deck thyself with ornaments;Furthermore, you sisters sent messengers for men who came from afar; and behold, when they arrived, you bathed for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry.

41and sattest upon a stately bed, with a table prepared before it, whereupon thou didst set Mine incense and Mine oil.You sat on a couch of luxury with a table spread before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil,

42And the voice of a multitude being at ease was therein; and for the sake of men, they were so many, brought drunken from the wilderness, they put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.accompanied by the sound of a carefree crowd. Drunkards were brought in from the desert along with men from the rabble, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your head.

43Then said I of her that was worn out by adulteries: Still they commit harlotries with her, even her.Then I said of her who had grown old in adulteries: ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is!’

44For every one went in unto her, as men go in unto a harlot; so went they in unto Oholah and unto Oholibah, the lewd women.And they slept with her as with a prostitute; they slept with Oholah and Oholibah, those lewd women.

45But righteous men, they shall judge them as adulteresses are judged, and as women that shed blood are judged; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.But righteous men will sentence them to the punishment of those who commit adultery and bloodshed, because they are adulteresses with blood on their hands.

46For thus saith the Lord GOD: An assembly shall be brought up against them, and they shall be made a horror and a spoil.This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Bring a mob against them and consign them to terror and plunder.

47And the assembly shall stone them with stones, and despatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords. They will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.

48Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness.So I will put an end to indecency in the land, and all the women will be admonished not to imitate your behavior.

49And your lewdness shall be recompensed upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.'They will repay you for your indecency, and you will bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’”

Ezekiel 23

The Two Adulterous Sisters

Oholibah to Be Plagued

Judgment on Both Sisters

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Ezekiel 23

The Two Adulterous Sisters

Oholibah to Be Plagued

Judgment on Both Sisters

You’ve read Ezekiel 23

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