Both Sisters Judged

36 The Lord also said to me: “Son of man, will you (A)judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then (B)declare to them their abominations. 37 For they have committed adultery, and (C)blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons (D)whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them. 38 Moreover they have done this to Me: They have (E)defiled My sanctuary on the same day and (F)profaned My Sabbaths. 39 For after they had slain their children for their idols, on the same day they came into My sanctuary to profane it; and indeed (G)thus they have done in the midst of My house.

40 “Furthermore you sent for men to come from afar, (H)to whom a messenger was sent; and there they came. And you (I)washed yourself for them, (J)painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. 41 You sat on a stately (K)couch, with a table prepared before it, (L)on which you had set My incense and My oil. 42 The sound of a carefree multitude was with her, and [a]Sabeans were brought from the wilderness with men of the common sort, who put bracelets on their [b]wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 Then I said concerning her who had grown old in adulteries, ‘Will they commit harlotry with her now, and she with them? 44 Yet they went in to her, as men go in to a woman who plays the harlot; thus they went in to Oholah and Oholibah, the lewd women. 45 But righteous men will (M)judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and (N)blood is on their hands.

46 “For thus says the Lord God: (O)‘Bring up an assembly against them, give them up to trouble and plunder. 47 (P)The assembly shall stone them with stones and [c]execute them with their swords; (Q)they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire. 48 Thus (R)I will cause lewdness to cease from the land, (S)that all women may be taught not to practice your lewdness.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 23:42 Or drunkards
  2. Ezekiel 23:42 Lit. hands
  3. Ezekiel 23:47 Lit. cut down

36 The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront(A) them with their detestable practices,(B) 37 for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them.(C) 38 They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary(D) and desecrated my Sabbaths.(E) 39 On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated(F) it. That is what they did in my house.(G)

40 “They even sent messengers for men who came from far away,(H) and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup(I) and put on your jewelry.(J) 41 You sat on an elegant couch,(K) with a table(L) spread before it on which you had placed the incense(M) and olive oil that belonged to me.(N)

42 “The noise of a carefree(O) crowd was around her; drunkards(P) were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets(Q) on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads.(R) 43 Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute,(S) for that is all she is.’ 44 And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah. 45 But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood,(T) because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.(U)

46 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring a mob(V) against them and give them over to terror and plunder.(W) 47 The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters(X) and burn(Y) down their houses.(Z)

48 “So I will put an end(AA) to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you.(AB)

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