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23 The Davar Hashem came again unto me, saying,

Ben adam, there were two nashim, the banot of one em;

And they committed zonah harlotry in Mitzrayim; they committed zonah harlotry in their youth; there were their breasts pressed, and there their betulah bosom was caressed.

And the shmot of them were Oholah the elder, and Oholivah her achot; and they were Mine, and they bore banim and banot. Thus were their shmot: Shomron is Oholah, and Yerushalayim Oholivah.

And Oholah (unfaithful to Me) played the zonah when she was Mine; and she lusted for her lovers, for Ashur [the Assyrian] warriors,

Which were clothed with royal blue, pachot (governors) and seganim (officials), all of them desirable bochurim, parashim (charioteers) driving susim.

Thus she committed her zonah harlotry with them, with all them that were the choice Bnei Ashur, and with all for whom she lusted; with all their gillulim (idols) she made herself tameh.

Neither did she give up her zonah harlotry brought from Mitzrayim; for in her youth they lay with her, and they caressed her betulah bosom, and poured out their zenut fornication upon her.

Therefore I have delivered her into the yad of her lovers, into the yad of the Bnei Ashur, upon whom she lusted.

10 These uncovered her ervah (nakedness); they took her banim and her banot, and slaughtered her with the cherev; and she became a shem (byword) among nashim; for they had executed judgments upon her.

11 And when her achot Oholivah saw this, she was more depraved in her craving than she, her zonah harlotry became worse than the zonah harlotry of her achot.

12 She lusted after the Bnei Ashur warriors, pachot and seganim, clothed most gorgeously, parashim driving susim, all of them desirable bochurim.

13 Then I saw that she had made herself tameh, that both of them had gone derech echad (the same road).

14 And that she increased her zonah harlotry; for when she saw anashim portrayed upon the kir (wall), the tzelamim (idol images) of the Kasdim (Chaldeans) portrayed in bright red,

15 Girded with ezor (belts) upon their waists, with flowing tevulim (turbans) upon their heads, all of them shalishim (ranking officers) to look to, after the demut (appearance) of those of Bnei Bavel Kasdim, their eretz moledet;

16 And as soon as she saw them with her eynayim, she lusted upon them, and sent malachim unto them into Chaldea.

17 And the Bnei Bavel came to her into the mishkav dodim (bed of love), and they made her tameh with their zenut (whoredom), and she was defiled by them, and her nefesh turned away from them in disgust.

18 So she uncovered her zonah harlotry, and uncovered her ervah: then My Nefesh was alienated from her, just as My Nefesh was alienated from her achot.

19 Yet she multiplied her zonah harlotry, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the zonah in Eretz Mitzrayim.

20 For she lusted upon their pilagshim (illicit lovers), whose basar is as the basar of chamorim, and whose issue is like the issue of susim.

21 Thus thou calledst to remembrance the zimmah (lewdness) of thy youth, when those of Mitzrayim caressed thy bosom because of thy youthful bosom.

22 Therefore, O Oholivah, thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I will stir up thy lovers against thee, from whom thou hast alienated thy nefesh, and I will bring them against thee on every side;

23 The Bnei Baval, and all the Kasdim, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, and all the Bnei Ashur with them; all of them desirable bochurim, pachot and seganim, shalishim and renowned, all of them riding upon susim.

24 And they shall come against thee with weapons, wheeled chariots, and with a kahal amim, which shall set against thee shield and mogen and kova (helmet) all around; they will array themselves against thee; and I will delegate mishpat to them, and they shall judge thee according to their mishpatim.

25 And I will set My kina (jealousy) against thee, and they shall deal in chemah (wrath) with thee; they shall cut off thy nose and thine oznayim; and thy remnant shall fall by the cherev; they shall take thy banim and thy banot; and thy remnant shall be devoured by the eish.

26 They shall also strip thee out of thy begadim, and take away thy beautiful jewels.

27 Thus will I make thy zimmah (lewdness) to cease from thee, and thy zenut brought from Eretz Mitzrayim; so that thou shalt not lift up thine eynayim unto them, nor remember Mitzrayim any more.

28 For thus saith Adonoi Hashem; Hineni, I will deliver thee into the yad of them whom thou hatest, into the yad of them from whom thy nefesh is alienated;

29 And they shall deal with thee b’sinah (in hatred), and shall take away all thou hast labored for, and shall leave thee erom (naked) and bare; and the ervah of thy zonah harlotry shall be uncovered, both thy zimmah (lewdness) and thy zonah harlotry.

30 I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a-whoring after the Goyim, and because thou art made tameh with their gillulim.

31 Thou hast walked in the derech of thy achot; so will I give her kos into thine yad.

32 Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Thou shalt drink of thy achot’s kos deep and wide; thou shalt be laughed to scorn and held in derision; it containeth so much, filled to the brim.

33 Thou shalt be filled with shikkaron (drunkenness) and sorrow, with the kos of horror and desolation, with the kos of thy achot Shomron.

34 Thou shalt even drink it and drain it dry, and thou shalt break it into shards, and tear at thine own breasts; for I have spoken it, saith Adonoi Hashem.

35 Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because thou hast forgotten Me, and thrust Me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy zimmah and thy zonah harlotry.

36 Hashem said moreover unto me: Ben adam, wilt thou judge Oholah and Oholivah? Indeed, declare unto them their to’avot;

37 That they have committed ni’uf, and dahm is on their hands, and with their gillulim (idols) have they committed ni’uf, and have also caused their banim, whom they bore unto Me, to pass for them through the eish, offering them as [sacrificial] food.

38 Moreover this they have done unto Me: they have defiled My Mikdash in the same day, and have profaned My Shabbatot.

39 For when they had slaughtered their banim to their gillulim (idols), then they came the same day, entering into My Mikdash to profane it; and, hinei, thus have they done in the midst of Mine Bais.

40 And furthermore, they sent for anashim to come from afar, unto whom malach (messenger) had been sent; and, hinei, they came; the men for whom thou didst wash thyself, didst paint thy eynayim, and didst deck thyself with jewelry,

41 And satest upon a glorious mittah (couch), and a shulchan spread before it, whereupon thou hast set Mine ketoret and Mine shemen.

42 And a voice of a carefree multitude was with her; and with the anashim of the common rabble were brought Sabeans from the midbar, which put bracelets upon their hands, and ateret tiferet (beautiful crowns) upon their heads.

43 Then said I unto her that was old in niufim (adulteries), Will they now commit zonah harlotry with her, and she with them?

44 Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto an isha that playeth the zonah; so went they in unto Oholah and unto Oholivah, the women of zimmah (lewdness).

45 And the anashim tzaddikim, they shall judge them after the mishpat of no’afot (adulteresses), and after the mishpat of those guilty of shefach dahm; because they are no’afot (adulteresses), and dahm is on their hands.

46 For thus saith Adonoi Hashem: I will bring up a kahal upon them, and will give them over to be terrorized and plundered.

47 And the kahal shall stone them with stones, and cut them down with their charavot (swords); they shall slay their banim and their banot, and burn up their batim (houses) with eish.

48 Thus will I cause zimmah (lewdness) to cease out of ha’aretz, that all nashim may be warned not to practice your zimmah (lewdness).

49 And they shall bring your zimmah (lewdness) upon you, and ye shall bear sins of your gillulim (idols); and ye shall know that I am Adonoi Hashem.

Two Adulterous Sisters

23 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.(A) They became prostitutes in Egypt,(B) engaging in prostitution(C) from their youth.(D) In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.(E) The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.(F)

“Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians(G)—warriors(H) clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after.(I) She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt,(J) when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.(K)

“Therefore I delivered her into the hands(L) of her lovers,(M) the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.(N) 10 They stripped(O) her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women,(P) and punishment was inflicted(Q) on her.(R)

11 “Her sister Oholibah saw this,(S) yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.(T) 12 She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men.(U) 13 I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.(V)

14 “But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall,(W) figures of Chaldeans[a] portrayed in red,(X) 15 with belts(Y) around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.[b] 16 As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers(Z) to them in Chaldea.(AA) 17 Then the Babylonians(AB) came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.(AC) 18 When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body,(AD) I turned away(AE) from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.(AF) 19 Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. 21 So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.[c](AG)

22 “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers(AH) against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side(AI) 23 the Babylonians(AJ) and all the Chaldeans,(AK) the men of Pekod(AL) and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses.(AM) 24 They will come against you with weapons,[d] chariots and wagons(AN) and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment,(AO) and they will punish you according to their standards. 25 I will direct my jealous anger(AP) against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters,(AQ) and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire.(AR) 26 They will also strip(AS) you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry.(AT) 27 So I will put a stop(AU) to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.

28 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands(AV) of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. 29 They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked,(AW) and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed.(AX) Your lewdness(AY) and promiscuity(AZ) 30 have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.(BA) 31 You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup(BB) into your hand.(BC)

32 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“You will drink your sister’s cup,
    a cup large and deep;
it will bring scorn and derision,(BD)
    for it holds so much.(BE)
33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
    the cup of ruin and desolation,
    the cup of your sister Samaria.(BF)
34 You will drink it(BG) and drain it dry
    and chew on its pieces—
    and you will tear your breasts.

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.(BH)

35 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgotten(BI) me and turned your back on me,(BJ) you must bear(BK) the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”

36 The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront(BL) them with their detestable practices,(BM) 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.(BN) 38 They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary(BO) and desecrated my Sabbaths.(BP) 39 On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated(BQ) it. That is what they did in my house.(BR)

40 “They even sent messengers for men who came from far away,(BS) and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup(BT) and put on your jewelry.(BU) 41 You sat on an elegant couch,(BV) with a table(BW) spread before it on which you had placed the incense(BX) and olive oil that belonged to me.(BY)

42 “The noise of a carefree(BZ) crowd was around her; drunkards(CA) were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets(CB) on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads.(CC) 43 Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute,(CD) 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,(CE) because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.(CF)

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

48 “So I will put an end(CL) to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you.(CM) 49 You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry.(CN) Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.(CO)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 23:14 Or Babylonians
  2. Ezekiel 23:15 Or Babylonia; also in verse 16
  3. Ezekiel 23:21 Syriac (see also verse 3); Hebrew caressed because of your young breasts
  4. Ezekiel 23:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.