Ezekiel 23

1. The Word of the LORD came again to me,

2. “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother.

3. And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they whored in their youth, their breasts were handled, and there their virgin nipples were fondled.

4. And their names were Oholah, the oldest, and Oholibah, her sister. And they were Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And their names: Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.

5. And Oholah whored when she was Mine. And she lusted after her lovers, her Assyrian neighbors,

6. They were clothed with purple, even their governors and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.

7. Thus she bestowed her whoredoms on them, the choice sons of Assyria; with all of them, and with all whom she lusted after; she defiled herself with all their idols.

8. Neither did she leave her whoredoms brought from Egypt. For in her youth they lay with her, and they fondled her virgin nipples, and poured their lust upon her.

9. Therefore I have given her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians after whom she lusted.

10. They uncovered her nakedness. They took her sons and her daughters and killed her with the sword. And she became a byword among women, and they executed judgment on her.

11. And her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was more corrupt in her lustfulness than she, and her whoredoms were greater than her sister’s whoredoms.

12. She lusted after the Assyrians her neighbors, their governors and rulers, clothed most gorgeously; horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men.

13. And I saw that she too was defiled— in the same way, both of them.

14. And she increased her whoredoms. And she saw men carved on the wall which were images of the Chaldeans engraved with vermilion,

15. Girded with belts on their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like captains, like the sons of Babylon in Chaldea, the land of their birth.

16. And as soon as she saw them she lusted after them with her eyes, and sent messengers to them into Chaldea.

17. And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom. And when she was defiled by them, she turned herself from them in disgust.

18. So she uncovered her whoredoms and uncovered her nakedness; then My soul was alienated from her just as My soul was alienated from her sister.

19. Yet she multiplied her whoredoms to recall the days of her youth, in which she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.

20. And she lusted after her lovers, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose issue is like the issue of horses.

21. Thus you longed for the wickedness of your youth, when the Egyptians fondled your nipples, for the sake of your youthful breasts.

22. Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I will raise up your lovers against you, from whom your soul is alienated; and I will bring them against you from all around;

23. The Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them; all of them desirable young men, governors and rulers, all of them, great lords and renowned; all of them riding upon horses.

24. And they shall come against you with weapons, chariots, and wheels, and with an assembly of people; buckler and shield and helmet shall they set against you all around. And I will commit the judgment to them, and they shall judge you by their judgments.

25. And I will direct My jealous anger against you, and they shall deal with you in fury. They shall cut off your nose and your ears, and the survivors shall fall by the sword. They shall take away your sons and your daughters, and the rest of you shall be devoured by the fire.

26. They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels.

27. So I will make your wickedness to cease from you, and your whoredom from the land of Egypt. And you shall not lift up your eyes to them, nor shall you remember Egypt any more.’ ”

28. For thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will give you into the hand of those who you hate, into the hand of those from whom your soul was alienated.

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 whoredoms shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your whoredoms.

30. These things will be done to you because you have whored after the nations, and because you are defiled with their idols.

31. You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand.”

32. Thus says the Lord GOD, “You shall drink of your sister’s cup deep and large; you shall be laughed to scorn and mocked; for it contains much.

33. In drunkenness and sorrow you are filled, the cup of astonishment and desolation with the cup of your sister Samaria.

34. You shall even drink it and empty it. And you shall break it into pieces, and tear at your own breasts. For I have spoken it,” says the Lord GOD.

35. Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, “Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, therefore you shall also bear your own lewdness and your adulteries.”

36. And the LORD said to me, “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah, and declare to them their abominations,

37. That they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands? And they have committed adultery with their idols and have also caused their sons whom they bore to Me to pass through the fire to them, to devour them.

38. And moreover they have also done this to Me: They have defiled My sanctuary in that day, and have profaned My Sabbaths.

39. And when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came into My sanctuary the same day to profane it. And lo, thus have they done in the midst of My house.

40. And they have even sent for men to come from far, to whom a messenger was sent. And lo, they came. You washed yourself for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments,

41. And sat on a stately bed with a table prepared before it, on which you set My incense and My oil.

42. And the sound of a carefree crowd was with her; and drunkards from the wilderness were brought with the men from the rabble of mankind; and they put bracelets on their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.

43. And I said about the one who was worn with adulteries, ‘Let them use her as a prostitute, for that is what she is.’

44. And they went in to her, as they go in to a woman of harlotry; so they went into Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd women.

45. But righteous men shall judge them with the judgment of adulteresses, and the judgment of women who shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.

46. For thus says the Lord GOD, ‘I will bring up a company against them, and give them over to terror and plunder.

47. And the company shall stone them with stones, and cut them down with their swords. They shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.

48. Thus I will cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught, not to go after your lewdness.

49. And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and you shall bear the sins of your idols. And you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.’ ”