23
1 The
LORD’s word came
again to me,
saying,
2 “Son
of man, there
were two women,
the daughters of
one mother.
3 They
played the
prostitute in
Egypt. They played
the prostitute in
their youth. Their
breasts were
fondled there, and
their youthful nipples
were caressed there.
4 Their
names were Oholah
the elder,
and Oholibah her sister.
They became mine,
and they bore
sons and daughters.
As for their
names, Samaria
is Oholah, and
Jerusalem Oholibah.
5 “Oholah
played the
prostitute when
she was mine. She
doted on her
lovers, on
the Assyrians her
neighbors,
6 who
were clothed with
blue—governors and
rulers, all of
them desirable
young men,
horsemen riding on
horses.
7 She
gave herself as
a prostitute to
them, all of
them the choicest
men of Assyria.
She defiled
herself with the
idols of whomever
she lusted after.
8 She hasn’t
left her prostitution
since leaving
Egypt; for in
her youth they
lay with her.
They caressed her youthful
nipples and they
poured out
their prostitution on
her.
9 “Therefore
I delivered her
into the hand
of her lovers,
into the hand
of the Assyrians
on whom she doted.
10 These
uncovered her
nakedness. They
took her sons
and her daughters,
and they killed
her with the
sword. She became
a byword among
women; for they
executed judgments
on her.
11 “Her sister
Oholibah saw this, yet she was
more corrupt in
her lusting than she,
and in
her prostitution which was more
depraved than
the prostitution of
her sister.
12 She
lusted after the
Assyrians, governors
and rulers—her
neighbors, clothed
most gorgeously,
horsemen riding on
horses, all of
them desirable
young men.
13 I
saw that she
was defiled. They
both went the same
way.
14 “She
increased her prostitution;
for she saw men
portrayed on the
wall, the images
of the Chaldeans
portrayed with red,
15 dressed
with belts on
their waists, with
flowing turbans on
their heads, all
of them looking
like princes, after
the likeness of
the Babylonians in
Chaldea, the land
of their birth.
16 As soon
as she saw
them, she lusted
after them and
sent messengers to
them into Chaldea.
17 The
Babylonians came to her into
the bed of
love, and they
defiled her with
their prostitution. She was
polluted with them,
and her soul was
alienated from
them.
18 So
she uncovered
her prostitution and
uncovered her
nakedness. Then my
soul was alienated
from her, just
like my soul
was alienated from
her sister.
19 Yet she
multiplied her prostitution,
remembering the
days of her
youth, in which she
had played the
prostitute in
the land of Egypt.
20 She
lusted after their
lovers, whose
flesh is as
the flesh of
donkeys, and whose
issue is like
the issue of
horses.
21 Thus
you called to memory
the lewdness of
your youth, in
the caressing of
your nipples by
the Egyptians
because of
your youthful breasts.
22 “Therefore,
Oholibah, the Lord
GOD says: ‘Behold,
I will raise
up your lovers
against you, from
whom your soul
is alienated, and
I will bring them
against you on
every side:
23 the
Babylonians and
all the Chaldeans,
Pekod, Shoa, Koa,
and all the
Assyrians with
them; all of
them desirable
young men,
governors and
rulers, princes
and men of
renown, all of
them riding on
horses.
24 They
will come against
you with weapons,
chariots, and
wagons, and with
a company of
peoples. They will
set themselves
against you with
buckler, shield,
and helmet all
around. I will
commit the
judgment to them,
and they will
judge you
according to their
judgments.
25 I
will set my
jealousy against
you, and they
will deal with
you in fury.
They will take
away your nose and
your ears. Your remnant
will fall by
the sword. They
will take your
sons and your
daughters; and
the rest of you
will be devoured
by the fire.
26 They will
also strip you of
your clothes and
take away your
beautiful jewels.
27 Thus
I will make
your lewdness to
cease from you,
and remove your
prostitution from
the land of Egypt,
so that you
will not lift
up your eyes
to them, nor
remember Egypt any
more.’
28 “For
the Lord GOD
says: ‘Behold, I
will deliver you
into the hand
of them whom
you hate, into
the hand of
them from whom
your soul is
alienated.
29 They
will deal with
you in hatred,
and will take
away all your
labor, and will
leave you naked
and bare. The
nakedness of
your prostitution will
be uncovered, both
your lewdness and
your prostitution.
30 These things
will be done
to you because
you have played
the prostitute
after the nations,
and because you
are polluted with
their idols.
31 You
have walked in
the way of
your sister; therefore I
will give her
cup into your
hand.’
32 “The
Lord GOD says:
‘You will drink
of your sister’s
cup,
which is deep
and large.
You will
be ridiculed and
held in derision.
It contains much.
33 You will
be filled with
drunkenness and
sorrow,
with the cup
of astonishment
and desolation,
with the cup
of your sister
Samaria.
34 You
will even drink
it and drain
it out.
You will gnaw
the broken pieces
of it,
and will tear
your breasts;
for I have
spoken it,’ says
the Lord GOD.
35 “Therefore
the Lord GOD
says: ‘Because you
have forgotten me
and cast me behind
your back,
therefore you also
bear your lewdness
and your prostitution.’ ”
36 The
LORD said moreover to
me: “Son of
man, will you
judge Oholah and Oholibah?
Then declare to
them their
abominations.
37 For
they have
committed adultery,
and blood is
in their hands.
They have
committed adultery
with their idols.
They have also
caused their sons,
whom they bore
to me, to
pass through
the fire to them
to be devoured.
38 Moreover
this they have
done to me:
they have defiled
my sanctuary in
the same day,
and have profaned
my Sabbaths.
39 For
when they had
slain their
children to their
idols, then
they came the same
day into my
sanctuary to
profane it; and
behold, they have
done this in
the middle of
my house.
40 “Furthermore
you sisters have
sent for men who
come from far
away, to whom
a messenger was
sent, and behold,
they came; for
whom you washed
yourself, painted
your eyes,
decorated yourself
with ornaments,
41 and
sat on a
stately bed, with
a table prepared
before it, whereupon
you set my
incense and my
oil.
42 “The
voice of a
multitude being at
ease was with
her. With men
of the common
sort were brought
drunkards from the
wilderness; and
they put bracelets
on their hands,
and beautiful
crowns on their
heads.
43 Then
I said of her
who was old
in adulteries, ‘Now
they will play
the prostitute
with her, and
she with them.’
44 They went
in to her,
as they go in
to a prostitute.
So they went in
to Oholah and
to Oholibah, the
lewd women.
45 Righteous
men will judge
them with the
judgment of
adulteresses and
with the judgment
of women who
shed blood,
because they are
adulteresses, and
blood is in
their hands.
46 “For
the Lord GOD
says: ‘I will
bring up a mob
against them, and
will give them
to be tossed back
and forth
and robbed.
47 The
company will stone
them with stones
and dispatch them
with their swords.
They will 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 be lewd
like you.
49 They
will recompense
your lewdness on
you, and you
will bear the
sins of your
idols. Then you
will know that
I am the Lord
GOD.’ ”