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)

A Prophecy Against Ammon

25 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against(EQ) the Ammonites(ER) and prophesy against them.(ES) Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you said “Aha!(ET)” over my sanctuary when it was desecrated(EU) and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile,(EV) therefore I am going to give you to the people of the East(EW) as a possession. They will set up their camps(EX) and pitch their tents among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk.(EY) I will turn Rabbah(EZ) into a pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting place for sheep.(FA) Then you will know that I am the Lord. For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have clapped your hands(FB) and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel,(FC) therefore I will stretch out my hand(FD) against you and give you as plunder(FE) to the nations. I will wipe you out from among the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy(FF) you, and you will know that I am the Lord.(FG)’”

A Prophecy Against Moab

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Moab(FH) and Seir(FI) said, “Look, Judah has become like all the other nations,” therefore I will expose the flank of Moab, beginning at its frontier towns—Beth Jeshimoth(FJ), Baal Meon(FK) and Kiriathaim(FL)—the glory of that land. 10 I will give Moab along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, so that the Ammonites will not be remembered(FM) among the nations; 11 and I will inflict punishment on Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”(FN)

A Prophecy Against Edom

12 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Edom(FO) took revenge on Judah and became very guilty by doing so, 13 therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand(FP) against Edom and kill both man and beast.(FQ) I will lay it waste, and from Teman(FR) to Dedan(FS) they will fall by the sword.(FT) 14 I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger(FU) and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”(FV)

A Prophecy Against Philistia

15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because the Philistines(FW) acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice(FX) in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, 16 therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines,(FY) and I will wipe out the Kerethites(FZ) and destroy those remaining along the coast.(GA) 17 I will carry out great vengeance(GB) on them and punish(GC) them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the Lord,(GD) when I take vengeance on them.(GE)’”

A Prophecy Against Tyre

26 In the eleventh month of the twelfth[f] year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:(GF) “Son of man, because Tyre(GG) has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha!(GH) The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,’ therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea(GI) casting up its waves. They will destroy(GJ) the walls of Tyre(GK) and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock. Out in the sea(GL) she will become a place to spread fishnets,(GM) for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord. She will become plunder(GN) for the nations,(GO) and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar[g](GP) king of Babylon, king of kings,(GQ) with horses and chariots,(GR) with horsemen and a great army. He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works(GS) against you, build a ramp(GT) up to your walls and raise his shields against you. He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his weapons.(GU) 10 His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the warhorses, wagons and chariots(GV) when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through. 11 The hooves(GW) of his horses will trample all your streets; he will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars(GX) will fall to the ground.(GY) 12 They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea.(GZ) 13 I will put an end(HA) to your noisy songs,(HB) and the music of your harps(HC) will be heard no more.(HD) 14 I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt,(HE) for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.

15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Tyre: Will not the coastlands(HF) tremble(HG) at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan(HH) and the slaughter takes place in you? 16 Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered(HI) garments. Clothed(HJ) with terror, they will sit on the ground,(HK) trembling(HL) every moment, appalled(HM) at you. 17 Then they will take up a lament(HN) concerning you and say to you:

“‘How you are destroyed, city of renown,
    peopled by men of the sea!
You were a power on the seas,
    you and your citizens;
you put your terror
    on all who lived there.(HO)
18 Now the coastlands tremble(HP)
    on the day of your fall;
the islands in the sea
    are terrified at your collapse.’(HQ)

19 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I make you a desolate city, like cities no longer inhabited, and when I bring the ocean depths(HR) over you and its vast waters cover you,(HS) 20 then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit,(HT) to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place[h] in the land of the living.(HU) 21 I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more.(HV) You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Sovereign Lord.”(HW)

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
  6. Ezekiel 26:1 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have month of the twelfth.
  7. Ezekiel 26:7 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, of which Nebuchadnezzar is a variant; here and often in Ezekiel and Jeremiah
  8. Ezekiel 26:20 Septuagint; Hebrew return, and I will give glory

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