15 “But you (A)trusted in your beauty and (B)became unfaithful because of your fame, and you poured out your [a]obscene practices on every passer-by to whom it might be tempting. 16 You took some of your clothes, made for yourself [b]high places of various colors, and committed prostitution on them, which should not come about nor happen. 17 You also took your beautiful [c](C)jewels made of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images so that you might commit prostitution with them. 18 Then you took your colorfully woven cloth and covered them, and offered My oil and My incense before them. 19 Also (D)My bread which I gave you, fine flour, oil, and honey with which I fed you, [d]you would offer before them for a soothing aroma; so it happened,” declares the Lord God. 20 “Furthermore, you took your sons and daughters whom you had borne to (E)Me and (F)sacrificed them to [e]idols to be devoured. Were your obscene practices a trivial matter? 21 You slaughtered (G)My children and offered them to [f]idols by (H)making them pass through the fire. 22 And besides all your abominations and obscene practices, you did not remember the days of (I)your youth, when you were naked and bare and squirming in your blood.

23 “Then it came about after all your wickedness (‘Woe, woe to you!’ declares the Lord God), 24 that you built yourself a (J)shrine and made yourself a (K)high place in every public square. 25 You built yourself a high place at the beginning of (L)every street and made your beauty abominable, and you spread your legs to every passer-by and multiplied your obscene practice. 26 You also committed prostitution with the Egyptians, your [g]lustful neighbors, and multiplied your obscene practice to (M)provoke Me to anger. 27 So behold, I have stretched out My hand against you and cut back your rations. And I turned you over to the desire of those who hate you, the (N)daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your outrageous conduct. 28 Moreover, you committed prostitution with the (O)Assyrians because you were not satisfied; you committed prostitution with them and still were not satisfied. 29 You also multiplied your obscene practice with the land of merchants, Chaldea; yet even with this you were not satisfied.”’”

30 “How (P)feverish is your heart,” declares the Lord God, “while you do all these things, the action of a [h](Q)bold prostitute! 31 When you built your shrine at the beginning of every street and made your high place in every public square, in (R)spurning a prostitute’s fee, you were not like a prostitute. 32 You adulteress wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband! 33 Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you (S)give your gifts to all your lovers and lavish favors on them so that they will come to you from every direction for your obscene practices. 34 So it is the opposite for you from those women in your obscene practices, in that you are not approached for prostitution, and in the fact that you pay a prostitute’s fee, and no fee is paid to you; so you are the opposite.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 16:15 I.e., idolatrous practices with nations
  2. Ezekiel 16:16 I.e., pagan altars
  3. Ezekiel 16:17 Lit articles of beauty
  4. Ezekiel 16:19 Lit and you...offer it
  5. Ezekiel 16:20 Lit them
  6. Ezekiel 16:21 Lit them
  7. Ezekiel 16:26 Lit great of flesh
  8. Ezekiel 16:30 Lit mighty

15 “‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by(A) and your beauty became his.(B) 16 You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places,(C) where you carried on your prostitution.(D) You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.[a] 17 You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them.(E) 18 And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense(F) before them. 19 Also the food I provided for you—the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord.(G)

20 “‘And you took your sons and daughters(H) whom you bore to me(I) and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?(J) 21 You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.(K) 22 In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth,(L) when you were naked and bare,(M) kicking about in your blood.(N)

23 “‘Woe!(O) Woe to you, declares the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, 24 you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine(P) in every public square.(Q) 25 At every street corner(R) you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by.(S) 26 You engaged in prostitution(T) with the Egyptians,(U) your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger(V) with your increasing promiscuity.(W) 27 So I stretched out my hand(X) against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over(Y) to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines,(Z) who were shocked by your lewd conduct. 28 You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians(AA) too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied.(AB) 29 Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia,[b](AC) a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.(AD)

30 “‘I am filled with fury against you,[c] declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute!(AE) 31 When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines(AF) in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment.

32 “‘You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! 33 All prostitutes receive gifts,(AG) but you give gifts(AH) to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.(AI) 34 So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 16:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
  2. Ezekiel 16:29 Or Chaldea
  3. Ezekiel 16:30 Or How feverish is your heart,