Ezekiel, 16

1. Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

1. The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms,

2. Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,

2. "Son of man, make known to Jerusalem its sins.

3. And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity [is] of the land of Canaan; thy father [was] an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.

3. You say on my behalf: Your beginning was in Canaan; there you were born. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

4. And [as for] thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple [thee]; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.

4. On the day you were born your cord was not cut, you were not bathed in water to make you clean, you were not rubbed with salt nor were you wrapped in cloth.

5. None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.

5. There was no one to look with pity on you or compassionate enough to give you any of these attentions. You were left exposed in the open fields because you were looked upon with disgust on the day you were born.

6. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee [when thou wast] in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee [when thou wast] in thy blood, Live.

6. But I passed by and saw you immersed in your blood. I said to you in the midst of your blood, "Live!"

7. I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: [thy] breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou [wast] naked and bare.

7. I made you grow like a plant of the field.

8. Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time [was] the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

8. You grew up and became tall and were becoming of marriageable age. Your breasts were formed and your hair had grown but you were naked and exposed. I passed by later and saw you were at the age of love and spread part of my garment over you to cover your nudity. I made a covenant with you with an oath - word of Yahweh - and you were mine.

9. Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.

9. Then I bathed you in water, I cleansed you of your blood and anointed you with oil.

10. I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.

10. I clothed you with embroidered cloth and put soft leather sandals on your feet. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with silk.

11. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.

11. I adorned you with jewelry, putting bracelets on your arms, a necklace around your neck

12. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.

12. and a ring in your nose.

13. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment [was of] fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.

13. I gave you earrings and a magnificent crown for your head. You were adorned with gold and silver; your clothing was fine linen, silk and embroidered cloth. You were fed on finest flour, honey and oil; you became very beautiful and rose to be queen.

14. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it [was] perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.

14. Your beauty was perfect and your renown spread through the nations, because of the splendor I had given you - word of Yahweh.

15. But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.

15. But you relied on your beauty; you trusted in your fame and you began to give yourself to every passerby like a prostitute.

16. And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: [the like things] shall not come, neither shall it be [so].

16. With some of your garments you made your high places where you played the harlot (the like has never been and never will be).

17. Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

17. With my silver and my gold and with the ornaments that were your splendor and which I had given you, you formed male idols and gave yourself to them.

18. And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them.

18. With your embroidered garments you covered them and before them you have placed my oil and my incense.

19. My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, [wherewith] I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour: and [thus] it was, saith the Lord GOD.

19. My bread which I gave you, the fine flour, the oil and the honey with which I fed you, you offered as fragrant incense before them, word of Yahweh.

20. Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. [Is this] of thy whoredoms a small matter,

20. You took the sons and daughters you bore for me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was it not enough to prostitute yourself?

21. That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through [the fire] for them?

21. Did you have to slaughter my children as an offering to your idols?

22. And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, [and] wast polluted in thy blood.

22. You revel in your abominations and prostitution without remembering the days of your youth when you were naked and exposed, lying in your blood.

23. And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD;)

23. Woe, woe to you - declares Yahweh - for all this wickedness!

24. [That] thou hast also built unto thee an eminent place, and hast made thee an high place in every street.

24. You built your mounds and made your high places at every crossroad.

25. Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.

25. At the entrance to every road you built your lofty shrines; you defiled your beauty giving yourself to every passerby and always increasing your harlotry.

26. Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger.

26. You gave yourself to the Egyptians, your large-limbed neighbors and provoked my anger with your increasing promiscuity.

27. Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary [food], and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd way.

27. And I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory and gave you over to the mercy of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines who were shocked by your filthy ways.

28. Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.

28. You played the harlot with the Assyrians as well because you were never satisfied. Yes, you played the harlot with them but you remained insatiable.

29. Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith.

29. Then you multiplied your prostitutions in a land of merchants, Chaldea, and even with that you were not satisfied.

30. How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these [things], the work of an imperious whorish woman;

30. Ah! How my anger rose against you, word of Yahweh, as you did all that, the work of an accomplished harlot,

31. In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;

31. when you built your mounds at the entrance to every road and your shrines in every square! You were not like a prostitute because you scorned payments.

32. [But as] a wife that committeth adultery, [which] taketh strangers instead of her husband!

32. Adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your husband.

33. They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.

33. All prostitutes receive fees, but you gave gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come to you for your favors.

34. And the contrary is in thee from [other] women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary.

34. In your prostitution you have been different from other women; no one approaches you and whereas you offer payment no one gives you any. You are completely different.

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

35. Therefore harlot, hear the word of Yahweh!

36. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;

36. This is what Yahweh says, "For having exposed yourself and uncovered your nakedness to your lovers and your abominable idols and because you have offered them the blood of your children, because of that,

37. Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all [them] that thou hast loved, with all [them] that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.

37. I will gather all the lovers that found pleasure in you and all those you loved, as well as those you hated; I will assemble them from all around to come against you and I will strip you before them and they will see your nakedness.

38. And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.

38. I will judge you as adulterous women are judged and as those who shed blood and I will bring upon you the blood vengeance of anger and jealousy.

39. And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare.

39. I will hand you over to them; they will tear down your mounds and shrines; they shall strip you of your clothes, taking from you the ornaments that were your splendor and leaving you naked and bare.

40. They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords.

40. They shall bring a troop against you to stone you and gash you with swords.

41. And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.

41. Your houses will be burned by fire. Sentence shall be passed on you in the presence of many women. I will make you cease your prostitutions and you shall no longer be hired.

42. So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.

42. But when I have exhausted my fury against you, my jealousy shall leave you. I will be calm and no longer angry.

43. Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these [things]; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon [thine] head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations.

43. Because you did not remember the days of your youth and roused my anger with all these things, I in turn will make you responsible for all you did, word of Yahweh. Have you not added detestable deeds to all your other abominations?

44. Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use [this] proverb against thee, saying, As [is] the mother, [so is] her daughter.

44. Every maker of proverbs will say of you: "Like mother, like daughter!"

45. Thou [art] thy mother's daughter, that lotheth her husband and her children; and thou [art] the sister of thy sisters, which lothed their husbands and their children: your mother [was] an 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, your father an Amorite.

46. And thine elder sister [is] Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, [is] Sodom and her daughters.

46. Your elder sister is Samaria who with her daughters lives on your left, and your younger sister at your right is Sodom with her daughters.

47. Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as [if that were] a very little [thing], thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways.

47. You have followed their ways insanely and given yourself to the same abominations. You have been more corrupt than they in every way.

48. [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.

48. As I live, word of Yahweh, Sodom your sister and her daughters have not done as you have done.

49. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

49. The sins of Sodom your sister were pride, over-indulgence in food, complacency and indifference to the poor and needy.

50. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw [good].

50. They were arrogant and did detestable things in my sight. For that reason I destroyed them as you have seen.

51. Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.

51. As for Samaria she has not committed half of your sins. Your abominations are more numerous than hers and in comparison make your sisters appear righteous.

52. Thou also, which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.

52. So bear your disgrace, you who have committed such detestable sins that have provided excuses to your sisters! They appear to be more righteous than you are. Be ashamed and bear your disgrace since your sisters seem holy compared to you.

53. When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then [will I bring again] the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:

53. When I restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, I will restore your own fortunes in their midst,

54. That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them.

54. that you may bear your shame and confusion because they now feel they are better than you.

55. When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

55. When your sister Sodom and her daughters and Samaria with hers will return to what they were before, you and your daughters will also return to what you were before.

56. For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride,

56. Had not Sodom your sister become a byword for you in the time when you felt proud,

57. Before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of [thy] reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all [that are] round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, which despise thee round about.

57. before your wickedness had become known? But now you have become the taunt of the daughters of Edom and all her neighbors, of the daughters of the Philistines who all around show their disgust for you.

58. Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith the LORD.

58. You shall bear the consequences of your foul behavior and your abominations, word of Yahweh.

59. For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant.

59. For thus says Yahweh: "I will treat you as you deserve, you who despised the oath and broke the covenant.

60. Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.

60. But I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth and make in your favor an eternal covenant.

61. Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.

61. You will be mindful of your ways and be ashamed when I take your sisters, both the elder and the younger, and give them to you as daughters, without prejudice to my covenant with you.

62. And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I [am] the LORD:

62. For I will uphold my covenant with you and you will know that I am Yahweh,

63. That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.

63. so that you may remember, be ashamed and never open your mouth again because of your humiliation, when I have pardoned you for all you have done, word of Yahweh.