Eze 23 | NASB1995 | STEP | The word of the Lord came to me again, saying ,

Ezekiel 23

Oholah and Oholibah’s Sin and Its Consequences

1 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 “Son of man, there were ^atwo women, the daughters of one mother; 3 and they played the harlot in Egypt. They ^bplayed the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and there their virgin bosom was handled. 4 “Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. And they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah.

5 “Oholah played the harlot ^{▼▼ Lit under Me}while she was Mine; and she lusted after her lovers, after the ^dAssyrians, her neighbors, 6 who were clothed in purple, ^egovernors and officials, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. 7 “She bestowed her harlotries on them, all of whom were the choicest ^{▼▼ Lit sons of Asshur}men of Assyria; and with all whom she lusted after, with all their idols she ^gdefiled herself. 8 “She did not forsake her harlotries ^hfrom the time in Egypt; for in her youth ^{▼▼ Lit they}men had lain with her, and they handled her virgin bosom and poured out their ^{▼▼ Lit harlotry}lust on her. 9 “Therefore, I gave her into the hand of her ^klovers, into the hand of the ^{▼▼ Lit sons of Asshur}Assyrians, after whom she lusted. 10 “They ^muncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, but they slew her with the sword. Thus she became a ^{▼▼ Lit name}byword among women, and they executed judgments on her.

11 “Now her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was ^omore corrupt in her lust than she, and her harlotries were more than the harlotries of her sister. 12 “She lusted after the ^{▼▼ Lit sons of Asshur
,} ^qAssyrians, governors and officials, the ones near, magnificently dressed, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. 13 “I saw that she had defiled herself; they both took ^{▼▼ Lit one}the same way. 14 “So she increased her harlotries. And she saw men ^sportrayed on the wall, images of the ^tChaldeans portrayed with vermilion, 15 girded with belts on their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, ^{▼▼ Lit the likeness of}like the ^{▼▼ Lit sons of Babel}Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth. 16 ^{▼▼ Lit At the sight of her eyes}“When she saw them she ^xlusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. 17 “The ^{▼▼ Lit sons of Babel
,} ^zBabylonians came to her to the bed of love and defiled her with their harlotry. And when she had been defiled by them, ^{▼▼ Lit her soul}she became disgusted with them. 18 “She ^abuncovered her harlotries and uncovered her nakedness; then ^{▼▼ Lit My soul}I became ^addisgusted with her, as ^{▼▼ Lit My soul}I had become disgusted with her ^afsister. 19 “Yet she multiplied her harlotries, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the harlot in the land of Egypt. 20 “She ^aglusted after their paramours, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose issue is like the issue of horses. 21 “Thus you longed for the ^ahlewdness of your youth, when ^{▼▼ So two mss; M.T. from Egypt}the Egyptians handled your bosom because of the breasts of your youth.

22 “Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord ^{▼▼ Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord , and so throughout the ch}God, ‘Behold I will arouse your lovers against you, from whom ^{▼▼ Lit your soul was alienated}you were alienated, and I will bring them against you from every side: 23 the ^{▼▼ Lit sons of Babylon
,} ^amBabylonians and all the ^anChaldeans, ^aoPekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the ^{▼▼ Lit sons of Assyria
,} ^aqAssyrians with them; desirable young men, governors and officials all of them, officers and ^{▼▼ Lit the called ones}men of renown, all of them riding on horses. 24 ‘They will come against you with weapons, ^aschariots and ^{▼▼ Lit wheels}wagons, and with a company of peoples. They will set themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet; and I will commit the ^aujudgment to them, and they will judge you according to their customs. 25 ‘I will set My ^avjealousy against you, that they may deal with you in wrath. They will remove your nose and your ears; and your ^{▼▼ Lit remainder}survivors will fall by the sword. They will take your ^axsons and your daughters; and your ^{▼▼ Lit remainder}survivors will be consumed by the fire. 26 ‘They will also ^azstrip you of your clothes and take away your ^babeautiful jewels. 27 ‘Thus ^bbI will make your lewdness and your harlotry brought from the land of Egypt to cease from you, so that you will not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.’ 28 “For thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will give you into the hand of those whom you ^bchate, into the hand of those from whom ^{▼▼ Lit your soul was alienated}you were alienated. 29 ‘They will ^bedeal with you in hatred, take all your property, and leave you naked and bare. And the nakedness of your harlotries will be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotries. 30 ‘These things will be done to you because you have ^bfplayed the harlot with the nations, because you have defiled yourself with their idols. 31 ‘You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will give ^bgher cup into your hand.’ 32 “Thus says the Lord God, ‘You will ^bhdrink your sister’s cup,
Which is deep and wide.
^{▼▼ Or It will be for jesting and deriding because of its great size}You will be ^bjlaughed at and held in derision;
It contains much.
33 ‘You will be filled with ^bkdrunkenness and sorrow,
The cup of horror and desolation,
The cup of your sister Samaria.
34 ‘You will ^bldrink it and drain it.
Then you will gnaw its fragments
And tear your breasts;
for I have spoken,’ declares the Lord God.

35 “Therefore, thus says the Lord God, ‘Because you have ^bmforgotten Me and ^bncast Me behind your back, bear now the punishment of your lewdness and your harlotries.’”

36 Moreover, the Lord said to me, “Son of man, will you ^bojudge Oholah and Oholibah? Then ^bpdeclare to them their abominations. 37 “For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. Thus they have committed adultery with their idols and even caused their sons, ^bqwhom they bore to Me, to pass through the fire to ^{▼▼ I.e. idols}them as food. 38 “Again, they have done this to Me: they have ^bsdefiled My sanctuary on the same day and have ^btprofaned My sabbaths. 39 “For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My ^busanctuary on the same day to profane it; and lo, thus they did within My house.

40 “Furthermore, ^{▼▼ Or you (women)}they have even sent for men who come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and lo, they came— for whom you bathed, ^bwpainted your eyes and ^bxdecorated yourselves with ornaments; 41 and you sat on a splendid ^bycouch with a ^bztable arranged before it on which you had set My ^caincense and My ^cboil. 42 “The sound of a ^{▼▼ Lit at ease
,} ^cdcarefree multitude was with her; and ^cedrunkards were brought from the wilderness with men of the ^{▼▼ Lit multitude of mankind}common sort. And they put ^cgbracelets on ^{▼▼ Lit their hands}the hands of the women and beautiful crowns on their heads.

43 “Then I said concerning her who was ^ciworn out by adulteries, ‘ ^{▼▼ Or Now they will commit adultery with her, and she with them}Will they now commit adultery with her when she is thus?’ 44 ^{▼▼ Or And}“But they went in to her as they would go in to a harlot. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd women. 45 “But they, righteous men, will ^cljudge them with the judgment of adulteresses and with the judgment of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands.

46 “For thus says the Lord God, ‘Bring up a company against them and give them over to ^cmterror and plunder. 47 ‘The company will ^cnstone them with stones and cut them down with their swords; they will slay their sons and their daughters and ^coburn their houses with fire. 48 ‘Thus I will make lewdness cease from the land, that all women may be admonished and not commit ^{▼▼ Lit according to your lewdness}lewdness as you have done. 49 ‘Your lewdness ^{▼▼ Lit they will give}will be ^crrequited upon you, and you will bear the penalty of worshiping your idols; thus you will know that I am the Lord God.’”