Ezekiel 23

1AGAIN a word of the Lord came to me, saying,

2Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,

3who in their youth had committed whoredom in Egypt. There they were first deflowered.

4And these were their names—the eldest was called Oola and her sister, Ooliba. And when they became Mine and had borne Me sons and daughters, These were their names—Oola was called Samaria, and Ooliba, Jerusalem.

5And Oola wantonly left Me and attached herself to her lovers—to the Assyrians, her neighbours,

6whose generals and leaders were clothed in blue. And the chosen youth were all horsemen, mounted on horses.

7But though she indulged her wantonness with them, who were all the principal men of the Assyrians, and with all them to whom she attached herself; and defiled herself with all their idols;

8yet she did not forsake her fornication with Egypt, because they had lain with her in her youth and first deflowered her.

10These exposed her shame. They took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword, and she became a common talk for women, and by her they gave warning to their daughters.

11Though her sister Ooliba saw this, yet she became abandoned and more inordinate in her fornication than her sister.

12To the sons of the Assyrians she attached herself—to the rulers and generals near her who were arrayed in sumptuous apparel, who were horsemen mounted on horses. They were all chosen youths.

14and that this one was adding to her fornication; for upon seeing men portrayed on the wall, the pictures of the Chaldeans drawn to the life with a pencil,

15having their loins girded with embroidered girdles, and deep-dyed turbans on their heads; the majestic countenance of all resembling that of the Chaldees of the land of her nativity;

16she became attached to them by the sight of her eyes, and sent messengers to them to the land of Chaldea.

17And the sons of Babylon came to her, lay with her, and polluted her in whoredom. And when she was polluted by them, though her mind was alienated from them,

18still she discovered her whoredom and exposed her shame. So My mind became alienated from her as it had been from her sister.

20and though connected with the Chaldeans, men of beastly lust,

21hast looked back to the transgressions of thy youth—to what thou didst in the stew of Egypt where thou wast first deflowered.

22Therefore O Ooliba, thus saith the Lord, Behold I will raise up against thee thy lovers from whom thy mind is alienated; and I will bring them against thee on every side—

23the children of Babylon, even all the Chaldeans, Phakuk and Soue and Uchoue and all the Assyrians with them, chosen youths, leaders and generals, all men of high rank and renown, mounted on horses.

24And they shall come against thee from the north with chariots and wheeled carriages, and a multitude of peoples with bucklers and shields. And when a guard is set on thee round about, I will give judgment before them and they shall punish thee by their judgments.

26And they shall strip thee of thy raiment, and take those jewels which are thy boast.

27And I will remove thine impieties which spring from thyself, and thy fornication which sprang from the land of Egypt; and thou shalt never lift up thine eyes to them, nor shalt thou any more remember Egypt.

29and they shall deal spitefully with thee, and take all those things for which thou hast laboured and toiled: and thou shalt be naked and in disgrace, and the shame of thy whoredom shall be made public.

30Thine impiety and thy whoredom have brought these things on thee. By thy going a-whoring after the nations, thou hast polluted thyself with their inordinate lusts.

31Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore I will put her cup into thy hands.

33that thou mayst be filled with fainting—even that cup of disappearance, the cup of thy sister Samaria.

34Let her take this: and I will turn away her festivals and her new moons; for I the Lord have spoken, saith the Lord.

37They have committed adultery with their idols; and caused their children whom they bore to Me to pass through fire for them.

38And when they had done this to Me, they polluted My holy things and profaned My sabbaths;

39for when they had slaughtered their children to their idols, they went into My sanctuary to profane it. Now because they have acted thus in My house;

40and because, for the men who came from afar, to whom messengers had been despatched, thou didst immediately on their coming, anoint thyself with oil and paint thine eyes with stibium, and adorn thyself with sumptuous attire,

41and sit on a covered sopha with a table set before it; and they were regaled with Mine incense and Mine oil,

42and joined in the harmonious song, even with men of the common herd who had come from the wilderness, though they had put bracelets on their hands and a crown of exquisite beauty on their heads.

43I said, surely they do not commit adultery with these! But she acted the harlot and they went in unto her:

44in the same manner as they go in to a common woman, so did they go in unto Oola and to Ooliba to commit iniquity.

45Therefore these are righteous men and they will punish them with the punishment of an adulteress and with the punishment for blood. Because they are adulteresses and there is blood on their hands,

46thus saith the Lord God: Bring up a multitude against them and expose them to tumult and rapine;

47and stone them with the stones of tumultuous crowds; and stab them with their swords. Let their sons and their daughters be slain and their houses burned with fire,

48that I may remove impiety out of the land and that all women may take warning, and not commit the impieties which these have done.

49Thus shall your impiety be recompensed on you; and for your sins you shall receive retribution; and you shall know that I am the Lord.