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Ezekiel 23

23 This word from the Eternal came to me: 2 “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of one mother; 3 when they were young, they played the harlot in Egypt, where men pressed their breasts and handied their virgin nipples. 4 Their names were Oholah, the elder, and Oholibah, the younger. They became my wives, and bore sons and daughters [[as for their names, Oholah is Samaria, Oholibah Jerusalem]].

5 But Oholah played the harlot, though she was my wife; she doted on her lovers the Assyrians, 6 soldiers clad in purple, prefects and governors, handsome young fellows all of them, riding on horseback; 7 she bestowed her favours upon them, the pick of Assyria, all of them, and befouled herself with the idols of every man on whom she doted; 8 she never ceased her harlotry since in Egypt men lay with her as a girl and handled her virgin nipples and had intercourse with her freely. 9 So I handed her over to her lovers, to the Assyrians on whom she had doted; 10 they exposed her nakedness, they seized her sons and daughters, and they slew her with the sword; so punishment was inflicted on her, till she became a warning to women.

11 Her sister Oholibah saw this, but she went further in depravity, in her lust and harlotry. 12 She doted on the Assyrians, prefects and governors, soldiers clad in purple, riding on horseback, handsome young fellows all of them. 13 I saw that she was befouling herself; both sisters were going the same road. 14 But she carried her harlotry further; she saw men pictured upon walls, figures of Chaldeans drawn in vermilion, 15 with sashes round their waists, with turbans adorning their heads, fine fellows to look at, portraits of Babylonians whose native land was Chaldea; 16 and when she saw them she doted upon them. So she sent messengers to them in Chaldea, 17 and the Babylonians came to embrace her with lust, befouling her with their intercourse, 18 till she grew sated and broke with them in disgust. And I broke with her in disgust, as I had broken with her sister, for flaunting her harlotry and uncovering her naked body. 19 But she carried her harlotry still further, remembering her early days of harlotry in Egypt; 20 she doted upon paramours who were like asses and stallions in the grossness of their lust. 21 Yes, you sought to repeat the lustful' days of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your nipples and pressed your young breasts.

22 Therefore, Oholibah--here is the Lord the Eternal’s sentence--I will rouse your lovers against you, the lovers you broke with; I will mass them all round you, 23 the Babylonians, all the Chaldeans from Pukudu, Sutu, and Kutu, and with them all the Assyrians, handsome young fellows all of them, prefects and governors, captains and councillors, all riding on horseback; 24 they shall attack you with many chariots and cars, and with a host of nations, they shall invest you with shields, targes, and helmets; I will entrust judgment to them, and they shall sentence you; 25 I will vent my jealous fury upon you, and let them deal with you fiercely, cutting off your nose and ears; your survivors shall fall by the sword, your sons and daughters shall be carried off, and your survivors burned to death. 26 They shall strip you of your clothes and take away your fine jewels. 27 So will I put an end to your lasciviousness and Egyptian harlotry; you shall never take to that again, nor remember Egypt. 28 For this is the Lord the Eternal’s sentence: I hand you over to men you hate, to men you broke with, 29 and they shall vent their hate on you, seizing the wealth you worked for, leaving you bare and naked, and exposing all your shameful debauchery. 30 Your lasciviousness and harlotry have brought it on you, for playing the harlot with the nations by befouling yourself with their idols. 31 You have gone the road of your sister, and I will make you drain the cup 32 she had to drain. For this is the Lord the Eternal’s sentence:

You shall drink your sister’s cup,

deep and large and full!

drink deep of ruin and of grief,

a cup of despair and desolation.

You must drain it to the dregs,

your sister’s cup, Samaria’s,

drink it up and drain it,

and tear your breasts--

I have decreed it,

says the Lord the Eternal.

Since you forgot me and flung me aside,

then suffer for your sensual harlot ways!” 36 “Son of man,” said the Eternal, “arraign Oholah and Oholibah, and show them their detestable impieties. 37 They have been guilty of adultery, and there is blood upon their hands; they’have been guilty of adultery with their idols, and they abandoned the very sons they bore to me, to be burned up for their idols. 38 They did this to me also; they polluted my sanctuary and desecrated my sabbath, 39 for the very day they sacrificed their sons to their idols they polluted my sanctuary by entering it. And this is how they behaved within my temple; 40 they actually sent for men who came from abroad, sent messengers to them! And for them you bathed yourself, you painted your eyes, you put on your ornaments, 41 you sat on a handsome diwan, with a table spread in front of it, where you set out my incense and my oil, 42 and sounds of revelry arose! Yes, and they sent for common men, mere drunkards from the desert, and even for them put bracelets on their arms and splendid crowns upon their heads . . . 44 And the men embraced them like harlots; thus did they embrace Oholah and Oholibah in their lust. 45 But honest men shall inflict on them the punishment of the adulteress and the murderess, for adulteresses they are and blood is on their hands.

46 This therefore is the Lord the Eternal’s sentence: Bring a host of folk against them, and hand them over to be maltreated and robbed! 47 Let them be stoned and put to the sword, let their sons and daughters be slain, and let their houses be burned up! 48 So will I put an end to sensuality in the country, that all women may take warning and avoid your sensual ways; 49 I will requite you for your sensual ways; you will have to bear the consequences of your sinful idolatry, and so learn that I am the Lord the Eternal.”

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