Open English Translation EZE Chapter 16

16 Then Yahweh gave me another message: 2 “Humanity’s child, inform Yerushalem about their detestable behaviour, 3 and declare that the master Yahweh says this to Yerushalem: Your beginning and your birth took place in the land of Canaan, your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite.[fn] 4 When you were born, your mother didn’t cut your cord, nor did she clean you with water or rub you down with salt, or wrap cloth around you. 5 No one cared enough about you to do any of these things for you—to be compassionate toward you. Your life was despised and you were thrown out into the open field on the very day that you were born.

6 But I went past, and I saw you, Yerushalem, writhing in your own blood, so I said to you as you lay there in your blood, “Live!”[fn] 7 I made you grow like a plant in the countryside. You grew up and became tall, and you became the most precious jewel. Your breasts became firm, and your hair grew thick, even though you’d been naked and bare.

8 I went past again and saw you. Wow, the time of love came for you, so I spread my robe out over you and covered your nakedness. Then I made a promise to you and brought you into a contract and you became mine. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.

9 I washed you, Yerushalem, with water, and rinsed your blood off you, and I put lotion on your skin. 10 Then I dressed you in embroidered clothes and put leather sandals on your feet. I wrapped you in fine linen, then covered you with silk. 11 Next I adorned you with jewellery, and I put bracelets on your hands and a chain around your neck. 12 I put a ring in your nose and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 So you were adorned with gold and silver, and you were dressed in fine linen, silk, and embroidered clothes. You ate good food made from fine flour, honey, and oil, and you were very beautiful, and you became a queen. 14 Your reputation, Yerushalem, spread among the nations because of your beauty, because it was perfect in the majesty I’d given you. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.

15 But Yerushalem, you trusted in your own beauty, and you acted like a prostitute because of your reputation. You flirted with everyone going past, and prostituted yourself, so that your beauty became theirs. 16 Then you took your clothes and made hilltop shrines for yourself with them, decorated in various colours, and there you acted like a prostitute. This shouldn’t have happened, nor should such a thing exist. 17 You took the fine gold and silver jewellery that I gave you, and you made male sculptures for yourselves, and you behaved with them like a prostitute would. 18 You took your embroidered garments and covered those idols, and you offered my oils and perfumes to them. 19 The high-quality bread that I gave you (made with fine flour, oil, and honey), you placed in front of them to be a fragrant aroma, and indeed it was. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.

20 Then you took your sons and daughters that you bore for me, and you sacrificed them to those idols to be devoured as food. Are your acts of prostitution a small matter? 21 You slaughtered my children for the idols and made them pass through the fire. 22 In all your evil goings on and your acts of prostitution, you never thought back to the days when you were young, when you were naked and bare as you thrashed about in your own blood. 23 After all your wickedness, you won’t end well. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.

24 You made yourself a mound and built a raised shrine in every public square. 25 You built your raised platform at the top of every street and made your beauty a disgrace, and you spread your legs for anyone who passed by, and you multiplied your acts of prostitution. 26 You’ve acted like a prostitute with your lusty neighbours the Egyptians, and you committed many more acts of prostitution, provoking me to anger.

27 Listen, I’ll hit you with my hand and cut off your food supply. I’ll hand your life over to your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your obscene behaviour.

28 You’ve acted like a prostitute with the Assyrians because you couldn’t be satisfied. You acted like a prostitute and still you weren’t satisfied. 29 So you performed many more acts of prostitution in Babylonia (the country of the Chaldean merchants), and even that didn’t satisfy you. 30 Your heart is so sick that you would do things like that—things that only a shameless prostitute would do. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.

31 You made your mounds at the top of every street and built your tall shrines in every public square, yet you weren’t like a prostitute, in the sense that you scoffed at taking payment. 32 You adulterous woman, you prefer strangers over your husband. 33 It’s normal for clients to pay the prostitute, but you do the opposite: you give your wages to all your lovers and bribe them to come to you from all around for your acts of prostitution. 34 Yes, there’s a difference between you and other women. No one offers payment for you to act as a prostitute. You’re the very opposite—you paid them but nothing was given to you.

35 Therefore, Yerushalem, you prostitute, listen to Yahweh’s message. 36 The master Yahweh says this: ‘Because you’ve poured out your lust and uncovered your nakedness through your acts of prostitution with your lovers and with all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood, 37 then listen: I’ll gather all your lovers that you’ve met, including the ones you loved and the ones you hated—I’ll gather them against you on every side. I’ll uncover your nakedness for them so they see all your nakedness. 38 Then I’ll punish you for your adultery and the shedding of blood, and I’ll bring on you the bloodshed of my anger and passion. 39 I’ll allow them to conquer you so they’ll tear apart your mounds and break down your tall shrines, and they’ll strip your clothes off you and take all your jewellery—leaving you naked and bare.

40 Then they’ll bring a crowd up against you and throw heavy stones at you, and they’ll cut you apart with their swords. 41 They’ll burn down your houses and punish you in several ways in the sight of many women, because I’ll put a stop to your prostitution, and you’ll no longer pay your lovers. 42 Then I’ll calm my rage against you. My anger will leave you, because I’ll be satisfied and won’t be angry at you any longer.

43 Because you didn’t call to mind your younger days, and made me shake with anger because of all those things, therefore, listen: I myself will bring the punishment for what you’ve done down onto your own head. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.

Haven’t you added prostitution to all your other detestable practices? 44 Listen, everyone who speaks proverbs about you will say, “Like mother, like daughter.” 45 You are the daughter of your mother, who detested her husband and her children, and you are the sister of your sisters, who detested their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite, and your father was an Amorite.

46 Your older sister was Shomron (Samaria), and her daughters were the ones living in the north, while your younger sister was the one living south of you, that is, Sodom and her daughters. 47 Not only did you follow their customs and copy their behaviour and practices, but in everything you did, you’ve been worse than they were.

48 This is the master Yahweh’s declaration: As I live, your sister Sodom and her daughters didn’t do as much evil as you and your daughters have done. 49 Listen, your sister Sodom’s sin was that she was arrogant in her leisure, careless and unconcerned about anything. She didn’t assist the poor and needy people. 50 She was arrogant and performed disgusting actions in front of me, so I took them away, just as you’ve seen.

51 As for Shomron, they didn’t commit even half of your sins. No, you’ve done many more disgusting things than they did, and you’ve shown that your sisters were better than you, because of all the disgusting things you do. 52 Also how you display your own shame—you’ve shown that your sisters were better than you by the sins you committed in all those disgusting ways. Your sisters now seem better than you.

53 From their captivity, I’ll restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and of Shomron and her daughters, and your fortunes will be similar,[fn] 54 so that you’ll display your shame. You’ll be humiliated because of everything you’ve done, and in that way you’ll be a consolation to Sodom and Shomron. 55 Your sister Sodom and her daughters will be restored to their former condition, and Shomron and her daughters will be restored similarly. Then you and your daughters will be restored to your former condition. 56 You never even mentioned your sister Sodom in the period when you were proud, 57 before your wickedness was revealed. But now you’re an object of scorn to the daughters of Aram (Syria) and to all the daughters of the Philistines around her. People all around despise you. 58 You’ll display your shame and your disgusting actions. That’s Yahweh’s declaration.

59 The master Yahweh says this: ‘I’ll deal with you as you deserve—you who’ve despised your oath by breaking our agreement. 60 But I myself will call to mind my agreement with you that was made when you were younger, and I’ll establish a never-ending agreement with you. 61 Then you’ll call to mind your behaviour and be ashamed when you adopt your older and younger sisters. I’ll give them to you as daughters, but not because of your agreement. 62 I myself will establish my agreement with you, and you’ll know that I am Yahweh, 63 so that you’ll call everything to mind and be ashamed. Then you’ll no longer open your mouth to speak, because of your shame, when I’ve forgiven you for everything you’ve done. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.’ ”