Ezekiel, 16

1. The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

1. Again the word of the LORD came to me:

2. 'Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her loathsome practices!

2. "Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations,

3. Say, "The Lord Yahweh says this: By origin and birth you belong to the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

3. and say, Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite.

4. At birth, the very day you were born, there was no one to cut your navel-string, or wash you in water to clean you, or rub you with salt, or wrap you in swaddling clothes.

4. And as for your birth, on the day you were born your navel string was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor swathed with bands.

5. No one looked at you with pity enough to do any of these things out of sympathy for you. You were exposed in the open fields in your own dirt on the day you were born.

5. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you; but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born.

6. "I saw you kicking on the ground in your blood as I was passing, and I said to you as you lay in your blood: Live!

6. "And when I passed by you, and saw you weltering in your blood, I said to you in your blood, `Live,

7. and I made you grow like the grass of the fields. You developed, you grew, you reached marriageable age. Your breasts became firm and your hair grew richly, but you were stark naked.

7. and grow up like a plant of the field.' And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full maidenhood; your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and bare.

8. Then I saw you as I was passing. Your time had come, the time for love. I spread my cloak over you and covered your nakedness; I gave you my oath, I made a covenant with you -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- and you became mine.

8. "When I passed by you again and looked upon you, behold, you were at the age for love; and I spread my skirt over you, and covered your nakedness: yea, I plighted my troth to you and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord GOD, and you became mine.

9. I bathed you in water, I washed the blood off you, I anointed you with oil.

9. Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you, and anointed you with oil.

10. I gave you embroidered dresses, fine leather shoes, a linen headband and a cloak of silk.

10. I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with leather, I swathed you in fine linen and covered you with silk.

11. I loaded you with jewels, gave you bracelets for your wrists and a necklace for your throat.

11. And I decked you with ornaments, and put bracelets on your arms, and a chain on your neck.

12. I gave you nose-ring and earrings; I put a beautiful diadem on your head.

12. And I put a ring on your nose, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head.

13. You were loaded with gold and silver and dressed in linen and silk and brocade. Your food was the finest flour, honey and oil. You grew more and more beautiful; and you rose to be queen.

13. Thus you were decked with gold and silver; and your raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth; you ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful, and came to regal estate.

14. The fame of your beauty spread through the nations, since it was perfect, because I had clothed you with my own splendour -- declares the Lord Yahweh.

14. And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor which I had bestowed upon you, says the Lord GOD.

15. "But you became infatuated with your own beauty and used your fame to play the whore, lavishing your debauchery on all comers.

15. "But you trusted in your beauty, and played the harlot because of your renown, and lavished your harlotries on any passer-by.

16. You took some of your clothes to make for yourself high places bright with colours and there you played the whore.

16. You took some of your garments, and made for yourself gaily decked shrines, and on them played the harlot; the like has never been, nor ever shall be.

17. You also took your jewellery, made with my gold and silver which I had given you, and made yourself male images to serve your whorings.

17. You also took your fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men, and with them played the harlot;

18. You took your embroidered clothes and used these to dress them up, and you offered them my oil and my incense.

18. and you took your embroidered garments to cover them, and set my oil and my incense before them.

19. And the bread I gave you, the finest flour, the oil and honey with which I fed you, you offered them as a pleasing smell. "What is more -- declares the Lord Yahweh-

19. Also my bread which I gave you -- I fed you with fine flour and oil and honey -- you set before them for a pleasing odor, says the Lord GOD.

20. you took the sons and daughters you had borne me and sacrificed them as food to the images. Was not your whoring enough in itself,

20. And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter

21. for you to slaughter my children and hand them over to be burnt in their honour?

21. that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them?

22. And in all your loathsome practices and your whorings you never called your early days to mind, when you were stark naked, kicking on the ground in your own blood.

22. And in all your abominations and your harlotries you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, weltering in your blood.

23. "To crown your wickedness -- disaster upon you, disaster! declares the Lord Yahweh-

23. "And after all your wickedness (woe, woe to you! says the Lord GOD),

24. you built yourself a mound and made yourself a high place in every open space.

24. you built yourself a vaulted chamber, and made yourself a lofty place in every square;

25. At the entry to every alley you made yourself a high place, defiling your beauty and opening your legs to all comers in countless acts of fornication.

25. at the head of every street you built your lofty place and prostituted your beauty, offering yourself to any passer-by, and multiplying your harlotry.

26. You have also fornicated with your big-membered neighbours, the Egyptians, provoking my anger with further acts of fornication.

26. You also played the harlot with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, multiplying your harlotry, to provoke me to anger.

27. So now I have raised my hand against you, I have cut down on your food, I have put you at the mercy of your enemies, the Philistine women, who blush at your lewd behaviour.

27. Behold, therefore, I stretched out my hand against you, and diminished your allotted portion, and delivered you to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior.

28. Still unsatisfied, you prostituted yourself to the Assyrians; you played the whore with them, but were not satisfied even then.

28. You played the harlot also with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; yea, you played the harlot with them, and still you were not satisfied.

29. You committed further acts of fornication in the country of merchants, with the Chaldaeans, and these did not satisfy you either.

29. You multiplied your harlotry also with the trading land of Chalde'a; and even with this you were not satisfied.

30. "How simple-minded you are!-declares the Lord Yahweh -- for although you do all the things that a professional prostitute would,

30. "How lovesick is your heart, says the Lord GOD, seeing you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen harlot;

31. in building a mound and making yourself a high place in every street, you do not act like a proper prostitute because you disdain to take a fee.

31. building your vaulted chamber at the head of every street, and making your lofty place in every square. Yet you were not like a harlot, because you scorned hire.

32. An adulteress welcomes strangers instead of her husband.

32. Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband!

33. All prostitutes accept presents, but you give presents to all your lovers, you bribe them to come from all over the place to fornicate with you!

33. Men give gifts to all harlots; but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from every side for your harlotries.

34. In fornicating, you are the opposite of other women, since no one runs after you to fornicate with you; since you give the fee and do not get one, you are the very opposite!

34. So you were different from other women in your harlotries: none solicited you to play the harlot; and you gave hire, while no hire was given to you; therefore you were different.

35. "Very well, whore, hear the word of Yahweh!

35. "Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD:

36. The Lord Yahweh says this: For having squandered your money and let yourself be seen naked while whoring with your lovers and all the foul idols of your loathsome practices and for giving them your children's blood-

36. Thus says the Lord GOD, Because your shame was laid bare and your nakedness uncovered in your harlotries with your lovers, and because of all your idols, and because of the blood of your children that you gave to them,

37. for all this, I shall assemble all the lovers to whom you have given pleasure, all the ones you liked and also all the ones you disliked; yes, I shall assemble them round you and strip you naked in front of them, and let them see you naked from head to foot.

37. therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers, with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved and all those you loathed; I will gather them against you from every side, and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness.

38. I shall pass on you the sentence that adulteresses and murderesses receive; I shall hand you over to their jealous fury;

38. And I will judge you as women who break wedlock and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy.

39. I shall hand you over to them; they will destroy your mound and pull down your high place; they will tear off your clothes, take away your jewels and leave you stark naked.

39. And I will give you into the hand of your lovers, and they shall throw down your vaulted chamber and break down your lofty places; they shall strip you of your clothes and take your fair jewels, and leave you naked and bare.

40. Then they will call an assembly of citizens to deal with you, who will stone you to death and hack you to pieces with their swords,

40. They shall bring up a host against you, and they shall stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords.

41. and burn down your premises and execute justice on you, while many other women look on; and I shall put an end to your whoring: no more paid lovers for you!

41. And they shall burn your houses and execute judgments upon you in the sight of many women; I will make you stop playing the harlot, and you shall also give hire no more.

42. Once my fury is exhausted with you, then my jealousy will leave you; I shall be calm and not angry any more.

42. So will I satisfy my fury on you, and my jealousy shall depart from you; I will be calm, and will no more be angry.

43. Since you never called to mind your early days and have done nothing but provoke me, now I in my turn shall bring your conduct down on your own head -- declares the Lord Yahweh! "Have you not added this lewd behaviour to your other loathsome practices?

43. Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have enraged me with all these things; therefore, behold, I will requite your deeds upon your head, says the Lord GOD. "Have you not committed lewdness in addition to all your abominations?

44. So now all dealers in proverbs will apply this one to you: Like mother, like daughter.

44. Behold, every one who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you, `Like mother, like daughter.'

45. Yes; you are a true daughter of your mother, who hated her husband and her children; you are a true sister of your sisters, who hated their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.

45. You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.

46. Your elder sister is Samaria, who lives to the north of you with her daughters. Your younger sister is Sodom, who lives to the south of you with her daughters.

46. And your elder sister is Sama'ria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you, is Sodom with her daughters.

47. You never failed to imitate their behaviour and copy their loathsome practices, and soon your behaviour was more corrupt than theirs was.

47. Yet you were not content to walk in their ways, or do according to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways.

48. As I live -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.

48. As I live, says the Lord GOD, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done.

49. The crime of your sister Sodom was pride, gluttony, calm complacency; such were hers and her daughters' crimes. They never helped the poor and needy;

49. Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, surfeit of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.

50. they were proud, and engaged in loathsome practices before me, and so I swept them away as you have seen.

50. They were haughty, and did abominable things before me; therefore I removed them, when I saw it.

51. And yet Samaria never committed half the crimes that you have. "You have done more loathsome things than they have. By all your loathsome practices you have made your sisters seem innocent,

51. Sama'ria has not committed half your sins; you have committed more abominations than they, and have made your sisters appear righteous by all the abominations which you have committed.

52. and now you bear the shame of which you have freed your sisters; since the sins which you have committed are more revolting than theirs, they are more upright than you are. So now, bear the disgrace and shame of having put your sisters in the right.

52. Bear your disgrace, you also, for you have made judgment favorable to your sisters; because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. So be ashamed, you also, and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

53. "I shall restore their fortunes, I shall restore Sodom and her daughters, I shall re- store Samaria and her daughters, and then I shall restore your fortune with theirs,

53. "I will restore their fortunes, both the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Sama'ria and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes in the midst of them,

54. so that you can bear your shame and disgrace for all you have done, and so console them.

54. that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all that you have done, becoming a consolation to them.

55. When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, are restored to what they were, and Samaria and her daughters are restored to what they were, then you too and your daughters will be restored to what you were.

55. As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former estate, and Sama'ria and her daughters shall return to their former estate; and you and your daughters shall return to your former estate.

56. Did you not gloat over your sister Sodom when you were so proud,

56. Was not your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride,

57. before you were stripped naked? Like her, you are now the laughing-stock of the women of Edom, of all the women round, of the women of Philistia, who pour out their contempt on you.

57. before your wickedness was uncovered? Now you have become like her an object of reproach for the daughters of Edom and all her neighbors, and for the daughters of the Philistines, those round about who despise you.

58. You have brought this on yourself, with your lewdness and your loathsome practices -- declares the Lord Yahweh.

58. You bear the penalty of your lewdness and your abominations, says the LORD.

59. "For the Lord Yahweh says this: I shall treat you as you have deserved for making light of an oath and breaking a covenant,

59. "Yea, thus says the Lord GOD: I will deal with you as you have done, who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant,

60. but I shall remember my covenant with you when you were a girl and shall conclude a covenant with you that will last for ever.

60. yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish with you an everlasting covenant.

61. And you for your part will remember your behaviour and feel ashamed of it when you receive your elder and younger sisters and I make them your daughters, although this is not included in my covenant with you.

61. Then you will remember your ways, and be ashamed when I take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you.

62. I shall renew my covenant with you; and you will know that I am Yahweh,

62. I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD,

63. and so remember and feel ashamed and in your confusion be reduced to silence, when I forgive you for everything you have done -- declares the Lord Yahweh." '

63. that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I forgive you all that you have done, says the Lord GOD."