Ezekiel 16
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New English Translation

Ezekiel 16:15-35

15“‘But you trusted in your beauty and capitalized on your fame by becoming a prostitute. You offered your sexual favors to every man who passed by so that your beauty became his.

16You took some of your clothing and made for yourself decorated high places; you engaged in prostitution on them. You went to him to become his.

17You also took your beautiful jewelry, made of my gold and my silver I had given to you, and made for yourself male images and engaged in prostitution with them.

18You took your embroidered clothing and used it to cover them; you offered my olive oil and my incense to them.

19As for my food that I gave you – the fine flour, olive oil, and honey I fed you – you placed it before them as a soothing aroma. That is exactly what happened, declares the sovereign Lord.

20“‘You took your sons and your daughters whom you bore to me and you sacrificed them as food for the idols to eat. As if your prostitution not enough,

21you slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.

22And with all your abominable practices and prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth when you were naked and bare, kicking around in your blood.

23“‘After all of your evil – “Woe! Woe to you!” declares the sovereign Lord –

24you built yourself a chamber and put up a pavilion in every public square.

25At the head of every street you erected your pavilion and you disgraced your beauty when you spread your legs to every passerby and multiplied your promiscuity.

26You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your sexually aroused neighbors, multiplying your promiscuity and provoking me to anger.

27So see here, I have stretched out my hand against you and cut off your rations. I have delivered you into the power of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed by your obscene conduct.

28You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians because your sexual desires were insatiable; you prostituted yourself with them and yet you were still not satisfied.

29Then you multiplied your promiscuity to the land of merchants, Babylonia, but you were not satisfied there either.

30“‘How sick is your heart, declares the sovereign Lord, when you perform all of these acts, the deeds of a bold prostitute.

31When you built your chamber at the head of every street and put up your pavilion in every public square, you were not like a prostitute, because you scoffed at payment.

32“‘Adulterous wife, who prefers strangers instead of her own husband!

33All prostitutes receive payment, but instead you give gifts to every one of your lovers. You bribe them to come to you from all around for your sexual favors!

34You were different from other prostitutes because no one solicited you. When you gave payment and no payment was given to you, you became the opposite!

35“‘Therefore O prostitute, hear the word of the Lord:

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