Ezekiel 23

1Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

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

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3and they committed fornication in Egypt while still young. Their breasts fell while there, and their virginity was lost.

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4Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister; they were Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah.

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5'Oholah departed from Me and committed fornication. She gave herself to her lovers, the Assyrians, who drew near to her,

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6who were dressed in purple, leaders and commanders, all chosen young men, horsemen riding on horses.

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7Thus she committed fornication with them, all of them chosen sons of the Assyrians; and upon whomever she offered herself, with all their inventions, she defiled herself.

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8She did not abandon her fornication with Egyptians, for they slept with her in her youth. These men violated her virginity and poured out their fornication upon her.

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9Therefore I delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hands of the sons of the Assyrians to whom she offered herself.

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10They uncovered her shame, took her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and they exacted retribution on her through her daughters.

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11'Her sister Oholibah saw this, and she indulged in her lusts more corruptly than she, and her fornication more than the fornication of her sister.

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12She offered herself to the sons of the Assyrians, the leaders and commanders near her, men clothed in purple, horsemen riding on horses, all of them chosen young men.

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13I saw both defiled in the same way,

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14but Oholibah added to her fornication; for she looked at men portrayed on the wall, images of Chaldeans portrayed in color,

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15girded with embroidered belts around their waists and brightly colored turbans on their heads, the appearance of high rank to all of them, the likeness of the sons of the Chaldeans, their native land.

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16As soon as her eyes saw them, she offered herself to them and sent messengers to them in the land of the Chaldeans.

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17Then the sons of Babylon came to her, into the bed of love, and defiled her in her fornication. So she was defiled with them, and her soul fell away because of them.

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18She revealed her fornication and exposed her shame. So My soul withdrew from her, as My soul withdrew from her sister.

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19Yes, you multiplied your fornication, so as to call to remembrance the days of your youth, in which you committed fornication in Egypt.

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20For you offered yourself to the Chaldeans, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys, and their members as the members of horses.

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21But you did look upon the lawlessness of your youth, the things you did in Egypt in your lodgings, where were the breasts of your youth.

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22'Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I shall raise up your lovers against you, because of whom your soul fell away, and I shall bring them against you all around

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23the sons of Babylon, all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, all the sons of the Assyrians with them, chosen young men, all leaders and commanders, men of high rank and famous men riding on horses.

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24All will come against you from the north—chariots and wheels with a multitude of peoples, with shields and spears—and they will set up a guard against you all around. I shall give judgment to them, and they will judge you according to their judgments.

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25I shall put My jealousy on you, and they will deal with you in great wrath. They will take away your nose and ears, and strike down your remnant with the sword. They will take your sons and daughters, and fire will consume your remnant.

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26They will also strip you of your clothes and take the objects of your boasting.

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27Thus I shall turn back your ungodliness and your fornication from the land of Egypt; and you shall not lift your eyes to them, nor remember Egypt any longer.'

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28'For thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those you hate, because of whom you withdrew your souls.

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29They will deal hatefully with you and take all the fruits of your labor and toil. You will be naked and disgraced, and the shame of your fornication and ungodliness will be revealed.

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30Your fornication caused this to happen to you, in that you acted as a prostitute with the nations and defiled yourself with their inventions.

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31You walked in the way of your sister; therefore, I shall put her cup into your hands.'

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32'Thus says the Lord: 'You shall drink from the deep and large cup of your sister, a cup filled to the brim.

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33You shall be filled with drunkenness and feebleness, and you shall drink from the cup of destruction, the cup of your sister Samaria;

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34and I will take away her feasts and her new moons. For I have spoken,' says the Lord.

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35Therefore thus says the Lord: 'Because you forgot Me and cast Me behind your back, therefore, bear the penalty of your ungodliness and prostitution.' '

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36Again the Lord said to me, 'Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? You shall declare their lawlessness to them.

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37For they committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their inventions, and passed through the fire the children whom they bore to Me.

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38So long as they did these things to Me, they defiled My sanctuary and desecrated My Sabbaths.

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39For as they were slaughtering their children for their idols, they also entered My sanctuary to desecrate it; for so they did in the midst of My house.

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40They also sent for men from afar by way of messengers; and as they were traveling, you washed yourself for them, made up your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry.

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41You sat on a furnished bed, with a decorated table before it, and they rejoiced over My incense and oil.

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42They played harmonious music, and put bracelets on their wrists and a crown of boasting on their heads, to attract the multitude of men coming from the desert.

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43Therefore I asked, 'Are they not committing adultery and doing the deeds of a prostitute with these? Is she not indulging in prostitution?'

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44Yes, they went in to her as men go in to a prostitute; thus they went in to Oholah and Oholibah, to commit lawlessness.

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45But righteous men will take revenge on them after the manner of an adulteress, and after the manner of women who shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.

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46'Thus says the Lord: 'Bring up a multitude against them and give them up to trouble and plunder.

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47They will stone them with the stones of a crowd and stab them with their swords. They will kill their sons and daughters and set their houses on fire.

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48Thus I shall turn away ungodliness from the land, and all women will be taught not to imitate their ungodliness.

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49Your ungodliness will be recompensed upon you, and you will bear the sins of your inventions. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.' '

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