Samaria and Jerusalem

23 The ·Lord spoke his word [^Lword of the Lord came] to me, saying: ² “·Human [^TSon of man; 2:1], a woman had two daughters. ³ While they were young, they went to Egypt and became prostitutes. They let men ·touch [fondle] and hold their virgin breasts. ⁴ The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became my wives and had sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem [^Cboth names are related to the Hebrew word for “tent,” and refer to the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah].

⁵ “While ·still my wife [^Lshe was mine], ·Samaria [^LOholah] ·had sexual relations with other men [engaged in prostitution]. She ·had great sexual desire for [lusted after] her lovers, men from Assyria. The Assyrians were warriors ·and ⁶ wore blue uniforms [clothed in blue]. They were all ·handsome [desirable] young men, ·captains [or governors] and ·lieutenants [commanders] riding on horseback. ⁷ ·Samaria [^LShe] became a prostitute for all the ·important [elite] men in Assyria and ·made herself unclean [defiled herself] with all the idols of everyone she desired. ⁸ She ·continued [did not give up] the prostitution she began in Egypt. When she was young, she had slept with men, and they ·touched [fondled] her virgin breasts and ·had sexual relations with [^Lpoured out their lust on] her.

⁹ “So I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians, ·that she wanted so badly [for whom she lusted]. ¹⁰ They ·stripped her naked [^Luncovered her nakedness; 16:37] and took away her sons and daughters. Then they killed her with a sword [^Creferring to the fall of Samaria to the Assyrians in 722–721 bc]. ·Women everywhere began talking [It became notorious/a byword among women] about how she had been punished.

¹¹ “Her sister ·Jerusalem [^LOholibah; v. 4] saw what happened, but she became ·worse [more depraved/corrupt] than her sister in her sexual ·desire [lust] and prostitution. ¹² She also desired the Assyrians, who were all soldiers in ·beautiful uniforms [full dress; or full armor]—·handsome [desirable] young ·captains [or governors] and ·lieutenants [commanders] riding horses. ¹³ I saw that both girls were alike; both were ·prostitutes [defiled; ^Critually].

¹⁴ “But ·Jerusalem went [^Lshe increased her prostitution] even further. She saw carvings of ·Babylonian [^LChaldean] men on a wall. They wore red [Jer. 22:14] ¹⁵ and had belts around their waists and turbans on their heads. They all looked like chariot officers ·born in Babylonia [^Lthe image of sons of Babel, natives of Chaldea]. ¹⁶ When she saw them, she ·wanted to have sexual relations with [lusted after] them and sent messengers to them in ·Babylonia [^LChaldea; ^Cdepicting Judah’s attempt at alliances with Babylon; 2 Kin. 20:12–15; 23:34—24:1]. ¹⁷ So these Babylonian men came ·and had sexual relations with her [to her bed of love] and ·made her unclean [^Ldefiled her with their lust; ^Critually]. After that, she ·became sick of them [turned away in disgust]. ¹⁸ But she ·continued her prostitution so openly that everyone knew about it [^Luncovered her prostitution and uncovered her nakedness]. And I ·finally became sick of her [turned away from her in disgust], as I had her sister. ¹⁹ But she remembered how she was a young prostitute in Egypt, so she took part in even more prostitution. ²⁰ She ·wanted men [lusted after lovers] ·who behaved like animals in their sexual desire [or whose genitals/^Lflesh were the size/^Lflesh of donkeys and seminal emission like that of horses]. ²¹ In the same way you ·desired to do the sinful things you had done [longed for the lewdness of your youth] in Egypt. There men ·touched [fondled] and ·held [caressed] your young breasts.

God’s Judgment on Jerusalem

²² “So, ·Jerusalem [^LOholibah; v. 4], this is what the Lord God says: You ·are tired of [turned in disgust from] your lovers. So [^Llook; ^Tbehold] now I will ·make them angry with [^Lstir them up against] you and ·have them attack [^Lbring them against] you from all sides [^Ca description of the siege of Jerusalem]. ²³ Men from Babylon and all ·Babylonia [^Lthe Chaldeans] and men from Pekod, Shoa, and Koa attack you [^Cpeople groups from the Mesopotamian region]. All the Assyrians will attack you: ·handsome [desirable] young ·captains [or governors] and ·lieutenants [commanders], all of them ·important men [officers and nobles] and all riding horses. ²⁴ Those men will attack with ·great armies [a host of people/nations] and with their weapons, chariots, and wagons. They will ·surround you [^Ltake up positions against you on every side] with large and small shields and with helmets. And I will ·give them the right to punish you [^Lassign judgment to them], and they will ·give you their own kind of punishment [or judge you by their own standards]. ²⁵ Then ·you will see how strong my anger can be [or I will direct my jealous anger against you] when they ·punish [deal with] you in their anger. They will cut off your noses and ears [^Cacts of torture and humiliation]. They will ·take away [seize] your sons and daughters, and those who are left will be ·burned [consumed/devoured by fire]. ²⁶ They will ·take [strip] off your clothes and steal your beautiful jewelry. ²⁷ I will put a stop to the ·sinful life [lewd/obscene behavior] you began when you were in Egypt so that you will not ·desire it [or seek their help; ^Llift up your eyes to them] or remember Egypt anymore.

²⁸ “This is what the Lord God says: You became ·tired of [disgusted with] your lovers, but I am going to hand you over to those men you now hate. ²⁹ They will treat you with hate and take away everything you worked for, leaving you empty and naked. ·Everyone will know about the sinful things you did [^LThe nakedness of your prostitution will be uncovered]. Your ·sexual sins [lewdness and promiscuity] ³⁰ have brought this on you. You have ·had sexual relations with [prostituted yourself with] the nations and ·made yourselves unclean [defiled yourself] by worshiping their idols. ³¹ You ·did the same things your sister did [^Lwent the way of your sister; vv. 9–10], so ·you will get the same punishment, like a bitter cup to drink [^LI will put her cup in your hand].

³² “This is what the Lord God says:

³⁵ “So this is what the Lord God says: You have forgotten me and ·turned your back on me [^Lcast me behind your back]. So you ·will be punished [must bear the consequences] for your ·sexual sins [^Llewdness and prostitution].”

Judgment on Samaria and Jerusalem

³⁶ The Lord said to me: “·Human [^TSon of man; 2:1], will you judge ·Samaria [^LOholah] and ·Jerusalem [^LOholibah], ·showing [declaring to] them their ·hateful [detestable; abominable] acts? ³⁷ They are guilty of adultery and ·murder [^Lblood is on their hands]. They have taken part in adultery with their idols. They even offered ·our children [^Lthe children they bore to me] as sacrifices in the fire to be food for these idols. ³⁸ They have also done this to me: They ·made my Temple unclean [defiled my sanctuary; ^Critually] at the same time they ·dishonored [defiled; profaned; ^Critually] my Sabbaths. ³⁹ They ·sacrificed [slaughtered] their children to their idols. Then they entered my Temple at that very time to ·dishonor [desecrate; profane; ^Critually] it. That is what they did inside my ·Temple [^Lhouse]!

⁴⁰ “They even sent for men from far away, who came after a messenger was sent to them. You bathed yourselves for them, painted your eyes, and put on jewelry [2 Kin. 9:30; Jer. 4:30]. ⁴¹ You sat on a ·fine bed [luxurious couch] with a table set before it, on which you put my incense and my oil.

⁴² “There was the noise of a ·reckless [or carefree] crowd in the city. Common people gathered, and ·drunkards [or Sabaeans; ^Cinhabitants of Sheba, in present-day Yemen] were brought from the ·desert [wilderness]. They put bracelets on the wrists of the two sisters and beautiful crowns on their heads. ⁴³ Then I said about the one who was worn out by her acts of adultery, ‘Let them continue their ·sexual sins [prostitution] with her. ·She is nothing but a prostitute [^L…even her].’ ⁴⁴ They kept going to her as they would go to a prostitute. So they continued to go to ·Samaria [^LOholah] and ·Jerusalem [^LOholibah; v. 4], these ·shameful [lewd; obscene] women. ⁴⁵ But men who ·do right [are righteous] will ·punish them as they punish [judge them with the judgment against] women who take part in adultery and who ·murder people [shed blood], because they are guilty of adultery and ·murder [^Lblood is on their hands].

⁴⁶ “This is what the Lord God says: Bring together a mob against ·Samaria and Jerusalem [^Lthem] and hand them over to ·be frightened and robbed [terror and plunder]. ⁴⁷ Let the ·mob [army; host] stone them, and let them cut them down with their swords. Let them kill their sons and daughters and burn their houses down.

⁴⁸ “So I will put an end to ·sexual sins [lewdness; obscenity] in the land. Then all women will be warned, and they will not ·do the sexual sins you have done [practice the same wickedness]. ⁴⁹ ·You will be punished [^LThey will repay you] for your ·sexual sins [lewdness; obscenity] and the sin of worshiping idols. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.”