Ezekiel 23:1-39

YAHWEH spoke to me, saying, “Son of man, there once were two women, daughters of the same mother. While they were still girls, they became prostitutes in Egypt. Men caressed their breasts; their virgin breasts were first fondled there. Oholah (Samaria) was the older and Oholibah (Jerusalem) her younger sister. I married them both, and they bore me sons and daughters. “Although Oholah was mine, she continued her prostitution. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors wearing uniforms of purple, governors, and officials. All of them were young and handsome and skilled horsemen. She was a prostitute for all the most important men of Assyria. She made herself unfit for my presence by worshiping all the idols of every man she had sex with. When she was a girl in Egypt, men fondled her breasts and made love to her often, pouring their lust upon her repeatedly. She did not give up her prostitution. “So I handed her over to the power of her lovers, to the Assyrians whom she lusted after. They stripped her naked, seized her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. She became notorious among women because of her punishment for her sins. “Her sister Oholibah saw all this, but she was even more depraved and a wilder prostitute than her sister. She lusted after the Assyrians—warriors dressed to perfection, governors, and officials. All of them were young and handsome and skilled horsemen. Then I saw that she was completely immoral; both sisters were equally corrupt. But Oholibah sank ever deeper into unrestrained sexual immorality, worse than ever. She saw the wall carvings of the Babylonian men, painted bright red, the images of the elite men of Babylon (natives of Chaldea), and her lust was enflamed even more. The men looked magnificent, like officers going into battle on their horses! They were the high-ranking Babylonian chariot officers with beautiful sashes tied around their waists and elaborate turbans on their heads. As soon as she saw them, she went wild with lust and sent messengers to them in Babylon to come and have sex with her. The Babylonians came to her, shared her love-bed, and defiled her with their lust. Once they had defiled her, she withdrew her affection and turned her back on them. She exposed her naked body to everyone and showed them openly that she was a prostitute. Therefore, I turned my back on her just as I had done with her sister. Yet she began sinking even deeper into her depraved sexual immorality, acting the way she did when she was a young prostitute in Egypt. She was driven by insatiable lust for Egyptian men, with genitals as large as donkeys’, ejaculating as forcefully as stallions. In that way, you were longing to repeat the debauchery of your youth, when men used to fondle your nipples in Egypt and played with your young breasts.” “And so, Oholibah, Lord YAHWEH says to you: ‘Behold, I will stir up all your former lovers against you, from whom you have withdrawn your affection. I will bring them against you from every side: the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, men of Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, young and handsome men, all governors, officials, and warriors—all of them skillful horsemen. They will attack you from the north and advance on you with chariots, wagons, and troops, setting themselves against you on all sides with shields and helmets. I will commit to them the right to judge you, and they will pass sentence on you as they see fit. I will direct my fiery indignation against you and let them treat you with fury. They will slice off your nose and ears, and what is left of your people will fall by the sword. They will capture your surviving sons and daughters and burn them alive. They will strip off your clothes and rob you of your fine jewels. “ ‘So I will put a stop to your debauchery and the habitual prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not view the Egyptians as your lovers anymore. You will never think of them again. For Lord YAHWEH says: Now, I will hand you over to those you hate, those for whom you no longer feel affection. They will treat you with hatred, strip you of all that you have worked hard for, and leave you stark naked. Just as you were naked in your prostitution, so you will be naked when everyone discovers your debauchery and habitual prostitution! You have brought all this on yourself because you have played the whore with the nations and have made yourself unfit for my presence by worshiping their idols. Since you have followed your sister’s footsteps, I will put her cup of punishment in your hands to drink. The Lord YAHWEH says to you: “ ‘You will drink of the same cup as your sister, a large cup both deep and wide that contains much sorrow! Drink it all, for it will lead to mockery and insults! You will be drunk with misery and sorrow. It is a cup of horror and devastation, the cup of your sister Samaria. You will drain it dry. Then, in despair, you will smash the cup in pieces, gnaw on the shattered shards, and cut off your own breasts, once fondled by others. For I, Lord YAHWEH, have spoken. “ ‘And so, Lord YAHWEH says: Because you have forgotten me and have turned your back on me, you too will have to bear the consequences of your outrageous, depraved sexual immorality.’ ” And YAHWEH said to me, “Son of man, are you ready to render judgment upon Oholah and Oholibah and charge them with their detestable practices? They have been wicked adulteresses. Their hands are dripping with blood, and they have committed gross adultery with their vile images. They have even committed murder by offering up their children, who are mine, as burnt sacrifices to feed their false gods! Moreover, they have sinned against me by defiling my sanctuary and dishonoring my Sabbaths. The same day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they came into my sanctuary and made it unfit for worship. Yes, this is what they have done in my own house!