Shared Word Translation
Ezekiel 23
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of one mother. They prostituted themselves in Egypt. In their youth they engaged in prostitution. There their breasts were pressed, and there they handled the nipples of their virginity. Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. They became mine and bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah.
Oholah prostituted herself while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers, after the Assyrians who were nearby, dressed in blue, governors and rulers, desirable young men, all of them horsemen riding on horses. She gave her prostitution to them, all the choicest men of the Assyrians; with all whom she lusted after, with all their idols she defiled herself. And she did not abandon her prostitutions from Egypt, for they had lain with her in her youth. They pressed her virgin breasts and poured out their lust upon her. Therefore, I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians after whom she lusted. They uncovered her nakedness, took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword. Thus, she became a name among women, and acts of judgment were executed upon her.
Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she further corrupted her lust more than she, and her prostitutions more than the harlotry of her sister. She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and rulers nearby, splendidly clothed, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. Then I saw that she was defiled; they both took the same way.
But she increased her prostitutions, for when she saw men portrayed on the wall, images of Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion, girded with belts on their loins, overflowing in dyed turbans upon their heads, all of them having the appearance of rulers, after the likeness of the Babylonians, Chaldea the land of their birth, she lusted after them when her eyes saw them. She sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
Then the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their impurities. After she was defiled by them, she became disgusted with them. When she uncovered her harlotries and exposed her nakedness, my soul became disgusted with her just as my soul had become disgusted with her sister.
Yet she multiplied her harlotries, remembering the days of her youth when she prostituted herself in the land of Egypt. She lusted after their concubines, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians fondled your bosom because of the breasts of your youth.
Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the LORD GOD: Behold, I will stir up your lovers against you, from whom your soul turned away, and I will bring them against you on every side: the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, governors and rulers, all of them, rulers and called men, horsemen riding on horses. They will come against you with chariots, wagons, and a host of peoples. They will set themselves against you on every side with buckler, shield, and helmet. I will entrust judgment to them, and they will judge you according to their judgments. I will set my jealousy against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will take away your nose and your ears, and your remnant will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and your daughters, and your remnant will be consumed by fire. They will also strip you of your clothes and take away your fine jewels. Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and to your prostitution from the land of Egypt. You will not lift up your eyes to them, nor will you remember Egypt anymore.
For thus says the LORD GOD: Behold, I will deliver you into the hand of those you hate, into the hand of those from whom your soul turned away. And they will deal with you in hatred, take away all you have worked for, and leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotries will be uncovered, your lewdness and your prostitutions. This will be done to you because you prostituted yourself after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.
In the way of your sister you walked, and I will put her cup in your hand. Thus says the LORD GOD: You will drink your sister's cup, deep and wide. You will be laughed at and held in derision, for it contains much. You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of horror and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. You will drink it and drain it dry, and gnaw its fragments, and tear at your breasts, for I have spoken, declares the LORD GOD. Therefore, thus says the LORD GOD: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you will bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitutions.”
The LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations. For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they committed adultery, and even caused their sons whom they bore to me to pass through the fire to devour them. Moreover, they have done this to me: They defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths. For when they slaughtered their sons for their idols, they came into my sanctuary on the same day to profane it. Therefore, thus they have done within my house.
Furthermore, you sent for men coming from afar, to whom a messenger was sent, and behold, they came. For them you bathed yourself, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. You sat on a luxurious couch with a table prepared before it, whereupon you placed my incense and my oil. The noise of a carefree multitude was with her, and drunkards were brought in from the wilderness with men of the common people. They put bracelets on her arms, and a beautiful crown on her head.
Then I said concerning her who was worn out by adulteries, ‘Now they will commit her harlotries.’ They went in to her, as one goes to a prostitute. So they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the immoral women.
But righteous men will judge them with the judgment of adulteresses and those who shed blood because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.
For thus says the LORD GOD: I will bring up a company against them and give them over to terror and plunder. And the company will stone them with stones and hack them with their swords, kill their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire.
Thus I will put an end to lewdness from the land, so that all women may be taught not to practice lewdness as you have practiced. They will repay you for your lewdness, and you will bear the sins of your idolatry. Then you will know that I am the LORD GOD.”