The Two Adulterous Sisters 1 WBS The word of the LORD came again to me, saying, BSB BSB: Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 WBS Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother: BSB BSB: “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,
3 WBS And they committed lewd deeds in Egypt; they committed lewd deeds in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they were first corrupted. BSB BSB: and they played in Egypt, prostituting themselves from their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin bosoms caressed.
4 WBS And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bore sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah. BSB BSB: 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.
5 WBS And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors. BSB BSB: Oholah prostituted herself while she was still Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors
6 WBS Who were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.BSB BSB: clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all desirable young men, horsemen mounted on steeds.
7 WBS Thus she committed her lewd deeds with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself. BSB BSB: She offered sexual favors to all the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all the idols of those for whom she lusted.
8 WBS Neither left she her lewd deeds brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they first corrupted her, and poured their impurities upon her. BSB BSB: 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.
9 WBS Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted. BSB BSB: Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians for whom she lusted.
10 WBS These uncovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her. BSB BSB: 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.
11 WBS And when her sister Aholibah saw this , she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her prostitutions more than her sister in her prostitutions. BSB BSB: Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.
12 WBS She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbors, captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men. BSB BSB: She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors dressed in splendor, horsemen riding on steeds, all desirable young men.
13 WBS Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way. BSB BSB: And I saw that she too had defiled herself; both of them had taken the same path.
14 WBS And that she increased her prostitutions: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion. BSB BSB: But Oholibah carried her prostitution even further. She saw the men portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans, engraved in vermilion,
15 WBS Girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity: BSB BSB: 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.
16 WBS And as soon as she saw them with her eyes she doted upon them, and sent messengers to them into Chaldea. BSB BSB: At the sight of them, she lusted for them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
17 WBS And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their lewdness, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them. BSB BSB: 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.
18 WBS So she disclosed her lewd deeds, and exposed her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, as my mind was alienated from her sister. BSB BSB: 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.
19 WBS Yet she multiplied her prostitutions, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, in which she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. BSB BSB: Yet she multiplied her promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth, when she had prostituted herself in the land of Egypt
20 WBS For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. BSB BSB: and lusted after their lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions.
21 WBS Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, by being corrupted by the Egyptians in thy youth. BSB BSB: So you revisited the indecency of your youth, when the Egyptians caressed your bosom and pressed your young breasts.
Oholibah to Be Plagued 22 WBS Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side; BSB BSB: 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—
23 WBS The Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them: all of them desirable young men, captains and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses. BSB BSB: 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.
24 WBS And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet on every side: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments. BSB BSB: 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.
25 WBS And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thy ears; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire. BSB BSB: 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.
26 WBS They shall also strip thee of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels. BSB BSB: They will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry.
27 WBS Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy adultery brought from the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift up thy eyes to them, nor remember Egypt any more. BSB BSB: 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.’
28 WBS For 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 mind is alienated: BSB BSB: 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.
29 WBS And they shall treat thee with hatred, and shall take away all thy labor, and shall leave thee naked and bare: and the nakedness of thy prostitutions shall be disclosed, both thy lewdness and thy prostitutions. BSB BSB: 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
30 WBS I will do these things to thee, because thou hast gone astray after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols. BSB BSB: have brought these things upon you, because you have prostituted yourself with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.
31 WBS Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thy hand. BSB BSB: Because you have followed the path of your sister, I will put her cup into your hand.’
32 WBS Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup deep and large: thou shalt be treated with scorn and had in derision; it containeth much. BSB BSB: 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.
33 WBS Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria. BSB BSB: You will be filled with drunkenness and grief, with a cup of devastation and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria.
34 WBS Thou shalt even drink it, and empty it to the dregs, and thou shalt break its pieces, and pluck off thy own breasts: for I have spoken it , saith the Lord GOD. BSB BSB: 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.
35 WBS Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy prostitutions. BSB BSB: 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.’”
Judgment on Both Sisters 36 WBS The LORD said moreover to me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yes, declare to them their abominations; BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you pass judgment against Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.
37 WBS That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bore to me, to pass for them through the fire , to devour them . BSB BSB: 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.
38 WBS Moreover this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths. BSB BSB: They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths.
39 WBS For 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. BSB BSB: 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.
40 WBS And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, to whom a messenger was sent; and lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paint thy eyes, and deck thyself with ornaments, BSB BSB: 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.
41 WBS And sattest upon a stately bed and a table prepared before it, upon which thou hast set my incense and my oil. BSB BSB: You sat on a couch of luxury with a table spread before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil,
42 WBS And a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness, who put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads. BSB BSB: 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.
43 WBS Then said I to her that was old in adulteries, Will they now commit lewd deeds with her, and she with them ? BSB BSB: 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!’
44 WBS Yet they went in to her, as they go in to a woman that playeth the harlot: so they went in to Aholah and to Aholibah, the lewd women. BSB BSB: And they slept with her as with a prostitute; they slept with Oholah and Oholibah, those lewd women.
45 WBS And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women that shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands. BSB BSB: 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.
46 WBS For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and plundered. BSB BSB: This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Bring a mob against them and consign them to terror and plunder.
47 WBS And the company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire. BSB BSB: The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords. They will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.
48 WBS Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness. BSB BSB: So I will put an end to indecency in the land, and all the women will be admonished not to imitate your behavior.
49 WBS And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols: and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD. BSB BSB: 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.’”