Ezekiel 23 - Prayer Tents

Ezekiel 23

New Living Translation

The Adultery of Two Sisters

23This message came to me from the Lord:

2“Son of man, once there were two sisters who were daughters of the same mother.

3They became prostitutes in Egypt. Even as young girls, they allowed men to fondle their breasts.

4The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. I married them, and they bore me sons and daughters. I am speaking of Samaria and Jerusalem, for Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

5“Then Oholah lusted after other lovers instead of me, and she gave her love to the Assyrian officers.

6They were all attractive young men, captains and commanders dressed in handsome blue, charioteers driving their horses.

7And so she prostituted herself with the most desirable men of Assyria, worshiping their idols[1] and defiling herself.

8For when she left Egypt, she did not leave her spirit of prostitution behind. She was still as lewd as in her youth, when the Egyptians slept with her, fondled her breasts, and used her as a prostitute.

9“And so I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers, whom she desired so much.

10They stripped her, took away her children as their slaves, and then killed her. After she received her punishment, her reputation was known to every woman in the land.

11“Yet even though Oholibah saw what had happened to Oholah, her sister, she followed right in her footsteps. And she was even more depraved, abandoning herself to her lust and prostitution.

12She fawned over all the Assyrian officers - those captains and commanders in handsome uniforms, those charioteers driving their horses - all of them attractive young men.

13I saw the way she was going, defiling herself just like her older sister.

14“Then she carried her prostitution even further. She fell in love with pictures that were painted on a wall - pictures of Babylonian[2] military officers, outfitted in striking red uniforms.

15Handsome belts encircled their waists, and flowing turbans crowned their heads. They were dressed like chariot officers from the land of Babylonia[3].

16When she saw these paintings, she longed to give herself to them, so she sent messengers to Babylonia to invite them to come to her.

17So they came and committed adultery with her, defiling her in the bed of love. After being defiled, however, she rejected them in disgust.

18“In the same way, I became disgusted with Oholibah and rejected her, just as I had rejected her sister, because she flaunted herself before them and gave herself to satisfy their lusts.

19Yet she turned to even greater prostitution, remembering her youth when she was a prostitute in Egypt.

20She lusted after lovers with genitals as large as a donkey’s and emissions like those of a horse.

21And so, Oholibah, you relived your former days as a young girl in Egypt, when you first allowed your breasts to be fondled.

The Lord’s Judgment of Oholibah

22“Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will send your lovers against you from every direction - those very nations from which you turned away in disgust.

23For the Babylonians will come with all the Chaldeans from Pekod and Shoa and Koa. And all the Assyrians will come with them - handsome young captains, commanders, chariot officers, and other high-ranking officers, all riding their horses.

24They will all come against you from the north[4] with chariots, wagons, and a great army prepared for attack. They will take up positions on every side, surrounding you with men armed with shields and helmets. And I will hand you over to them for punishment so they can do with you as they please.

25I will turn my jealous anger against you, and they will deal harshly with you. They will cut off your nose and ears, and any survivors will then be slaughtered by the sword. Your children will be taken away as captives, and everything that is left will be burned.

26They will strip you of your beautiful clothes and jewels.

27In this way, I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you brought from Egypt. You will never again cast longing eyes on those things or fondly remember your time in Egypt.

28“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will surely hand you over to your enemies, to those you loathe, those you rejected.

29They will treat you with hatred and rob you of all you own, leaving you stark naked. The shame of your prostitution will be exposed to all the world.

30You brought all this on yourself by prostituting yourself to other nations, defiling yourself with all their idols.

31Because you have followed in your sister’s footsteps, I will force you to drink the same cup of terror she drank.

32“Yes, this is what the Sovereign Lord says. “You will drink from your sister’s cup of terror, a cup that is large and deep. It is filled to the brim with scorn and derision.

33Drunkenness and anguish will fill you, for your cup is filled to the brim with distress and desolation, the same cup your sister Samaria drank.

34You will drain that cup of terror to the very bottom. Then you will smash it to pieces and beat your breast in anguish. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!

35“And because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You must bear the consequences of all your lewdness and prostitution.”

The Lord’s Judgment on Both Sisters

36The Lord said to me, “Son of man, you must accuse Oholah and Oholibah of all their detestable sins.

37They have committed both adultery and murder - adultery by worshiping idols and murder by burning as sacrifices the children they bore to me.

38Furthermore, they have defiled my Temple and violated my Sabbath day!

39On the very day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they boldly came into my Temple to worship! They came in and defiled my house.

40“You sisters sent messengers to distant lands to get men. Then when they arrived, you bathed yourselves, painted your eyelids, and put on your finest jewels for them.

41You sat with them on a beautifully embroidered couch and put my incense and my special oil on a table that was spread before you.

42From your room came the sound of many men carousing. They were lustful men and drunkards[5] from the wilderness, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your heads.

43Then I said, ‘If they really want to have sex with old worn-out prostitutes like these, let them!’

44And that is what they did. They had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, these shameless prostitutes.

45But righteous people will judge these sister cities for what they really are - adulterers and murderers.

46“Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring an army against them and hand them over to be terrorized and plundered.

47For their enemies will stone them and kill them with swords. They will butcher their sons and daughters and burn their homes.

48In this way, I will put an end to lewdness and idolatry in the land, and my judgment will be a warning to others not to follow their wicked example.

49You will be fully repaid for all your prostitution - your worship of idols. Yes, you will suffer the full penalty. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”

[1] Ezekiel 23:7The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung; also in 23.30, 37, 39, 49.
[2] Ezekiel 23:14Or Chaldean.
[3] Ezekiel 23:15Or Chaldea; also in 23.16.
[4] Ezekiel 23:24As in Greek version; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
[5] Ezekiel 23:42Or Sabeans.