Ezekiel 23

Oholah and Oholibah’s Sin and Its Consequences

1The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2“Son of man, there were 1two women, the daughters of one mother; 3and they played the harlot in Egypt. They 2played the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and there their virgin bosom was handled. 4Their names 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 is Oholibah.

5“Oholah played the harlot 3while she was Mine; and she lusted after her lovers, after the 4Assyrians, her neighbors, 6who were clothed in purple, 5governors and officials, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. 7She bestowed her harlotries on them, all of whom were the choicest 6men of Assyria; and with all whom she lusted after, with all their idols she 7defiled herself. 8She did not forsake her harlotries 8from the time in Egypt; for in her youth 9men had lain with her, and they handled her virgin bosom and poured out their 10lust on her. 9Therefore, I gave her into the hand of her 11lovers, into the hand of the 12Assyrians, after whom she lusted. 10They 13uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, but they slew her with the sword. Thus she became a 14byword among women, and they executed judgments on her.

11“Now her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was 15more corrupt in her lust than she, and her harlotries were more than the harlotries of her sister. 12She lusted after the 1617Assyrians, governors and officials, the ones near, magnificently dressed, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. 13I saw that she had defiled herself; they both took 18the same way. 14So she increased her harlotries. And she saw men 19portrayed on the wall, images of the 20Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, 15girded with belts on their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, 21like the 22Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth. 1623When she saw them she 24lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. 17The 2526Babylonians came to her to the bed of love and defiled her with their harlotry. And when she had been defiled by them, 27she became disgusted with them. 18She 28uncovered her harlotries and uncovered her nakedness; then 29I became 30disgusted with her, as 31I had become disgusted with her 32sister. 19Yet she multiplied her harlotries, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the harlot in the land of Egypt. 20She 33lusted after their paramours, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose issue is like the issue of horses. 21Thus you longed for the 34lewdness of your youth, when 35the Egyptians handled your bosom because of the breasts of your youth.

22“Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord 36God, ‘Behold I will arouse your lovers against you, from whom 37you were alienated, and I will bring them against you from every side: 23the 3839Babylonians and all the 40Chaldeans, 41Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the 4243Assyrians with them; desirable young men, governors and officials all of them, officers and 44men of renown, all of them riding on horses. 24They will come against you with weapons, 45chariots and 46wagons, and with a company of peoples. They will set themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet; and I will commit the 47judgment to them, and they will judge you according to their customs. 25I will set My 48jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in wrath. They will remove your nose and your ears; and your 49survivors will fall by the sword. They will take your 50sons and your daughters; and your 51survivors will be consumed by the fire. 26They will also 52strip you of your clothes and take away your 53beautiful jewels. 27Thus 54I will make your lewdness and your harlotry brought from the land of Egypt to cease from you, so that you will not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.’ 28For thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will give you into the hand of those whom you 55hate, into the hand of those from whom 56you were alienated. 29They will 57deal with you in hatred, take all your property, and leave you naked and bare. And the nakedness of your harlotries will be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotries. 30These things will be done to you because you have 58played the harlot with the nations, because you have defiled yourself with their idols. 31You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will give 59her cup into your hand.’ 32Thus says the Lord God, ‘You will 60drink your sister’s cup, Which is deep and wide. 61You will be 62laughed at and held in derision; It contains much.33You will be filled with 63drunkenness and sorrow, The cup of horror and desolation, The cup of your sister Samaria.34You will 64drink it and drain it. Then you will gnaw its fragments And tear your breasts; for I have spoken,’ declares the Lord God. 35Therefore, thus says the Lord God, ‘Because you have 65forgotten Me and 66cast Me behind your back, bear now the punishment of your lewdness and your harlotries.’”

36Moreover, the Lord said to me, “Son of man, will you 67judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then 68declare to them their abominations. 37For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. Thus they have committed adultery with their idols and even caused their sons, 69whom they bore to Me, to pass through the fire to 70them as food. 38Again, they have done this to Me: they have 71defiled My sanctuary on the same day and have 72profaned My sabbaths. 39For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My 73sanctuary on the same day to profane it; and lo, thus they did within My house.

40“Furthermore, 74they have even sent for men who come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and lo, they came--for whom you bathed, 75painted your eyes and 76decorated yourselves with ornaments; 41and you sat on a splendid 77couch with a 78table arranged before it on which you had set My 79incense and My 80oil. 42The sound of a 8182carefree multitude was with her; and 83drunkards were brought from the wilderness with men of the 84common sort. And they put 85bracelets on 86the hands of the women and beautiful crowns on their heads.

43“Then I said concerning her who was 87worn out by adulteries, ‘88Will they now commit adultery with her when she is thus?’ 4489But they went in to her as they would go in to a harlot. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd women. 45But they, righteous men, will 90judge them with the judgment of adulteresses and with the judgment of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands.

46“For thus says the Lord God, ‘Bring up a company against them and give them over to 91terror and plunder. 47The company will 92stone them with stones and cut them down with their swords; they will slay their sons and their daughters and 93burn their houses with fire. 48Thus I will make lewdness cease from the land, that all women may be admonished and not commit 94lewdness as you have done. 49Your lewdness 95will be 96requited upon you, and you will bear the penalty of worshiping your idols; thus you will know that I am the Lord God.’”