1Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,[ † ]Jeremiah 3:7-8Ezekiel 16:44-46 3and they played in Egypt, prostituting themselves from their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin bosoms caressed.[ † ]Leviticus 17:7Joshua 24:14Jeremiah 3:9Ezekiel 16:22 4The older was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their identities, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.[ † ]Jeremiah 3:6-7Ezekiel 16:8-20
5Oholah prostituted herself while she was still Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors[ † ]2 Kings 15:192 Kings 16:72 Kings 17:3Ezekiel 16:28Hosea 5:13Hosea 8:9-10 6clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all desirable young men, horsemen mounted on steeds. 7She offered sexual favors to all the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all the idols of those for whom she lusted.
8She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when men slept with her in her youth, caressed her virgin bosom, and poured out their lust upon her.[ † ]Exodus 32:41 Kings 12:282 Kings 10:292 Kings 17:16Ezekiel 23:3-19 9Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians for whom she lusted.[ † ]2 Kings 17:3 10They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and put her to the sword. Thus she became a byword among women, and they executed judgment against her.
11Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.[ † ]Jeremiah 3:8Jeremiah 3:8-11Ezekiel 16:51-52 12She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors dressed in splendor, horsemen riding on steeds, all desirable young men.[ † ]2 Kings 16:7-8Ezekiel 16:28Ezekiel 23:6-23 13And I saw that she too had defiled herself; both of them had taken the same path.
14But Oholibah carried her prostitution even further. She saw the men portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans, engraved in vermilion,[ † ]Jeremiah 50:2Ezekiel 8:10Ezekiel 16:29 15wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like officers of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth. 16At the sight of them, she lusted for them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.[ † ]2 Kings 24:1Isaiah 57:9 17Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. But after she had been defiled by them, she turned away in disgust.[ † ]Ezekiel 23:22-28
18When Oholibah openly prostituted herself and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.[ † ]Jeremiah 6:8Psalms 78:59Psalms 106:40Jeremiah 12:8 19Yet she multiplied her promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth, when she had prostituted herself in the land of Egypt[ † ]Leviticus 18:3Ezekiel 23:2 20and lusted after their lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions. 21So you revisited the indecency of your youth, when the Egyptians caressed your bosom and pressed your young breasts.[ † ]Ezekiel 16:26
22Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord God says: ‘I will incite your lovers against you, those from whom you turned away in disgust. And I will bring them against you from every side—[ † ]Ezekiel 16:37-41Ezekiel 23:28 23the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them—all desirable young men, governors and commanders, officers and men of renown, mounted on horses.[ † ]Jeremiah 50:21Ezekiel 23:12
24They will come against you with a host of peoples, with weapons, chariots, and wagons. They will array themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet. I will delegate judgment to them, and they will punish you according to their own standards. 25And I will set My jealous rage against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and ears, and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters, and your remnant will be consumed by fire.[ † ]Exodus 34:14Ezekiel 5:13Ezekiel 8:17-18Zephaniah 1:18 26They will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry.[ † ]Isaiah 3:18-23Ezekiel 16:39 27So I will put an end to your indecency and prostitution, which began in the land of Egypt, and you will not lift your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.’[ † ]Ezekiel 16:41Ezekiel 22:15Ezekiel 23:3-19
28For this is what the Lord God says: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hands of those you hate, from whom you turned away in disgust.[ † ]Jeremiah 21:7-10Ezekiel 16:37-41Ezekiel 23:17 29They will treat you with hatred, take all for which you have worked, and leave you naked and bare, so that the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your indecency and promiscuity[ † ]Deuteronomy 28:48Ezekiel 23:25-26, 45-47Ezekiel 16:39 30have brought these things upon you, because you have prostituted yourself with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.[ † ]Ezekiel 6:9 31Because you have followed the path of your sister, I will put her cup into your hand.’[ † ]2 Kings 21:13Jeremiah 7:14-15Jeremiah 25:15Ezekiel 23:33
35Therefore this is what the Lord God says: ‘Because you have forgotten Me and have cast Me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and prostitution.’”[ † ]Isaiah 17:10Jeremiah 3:21Ezekiel 22:12Hosea 8:14Hosea 13:61 Kings 14:9Jeremiah 2:27Jeremiah 32:33Nehemiah 9:26
36Then the Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you pass judgment against Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.[ † ]Jeremiah 1:10Ezekiel 20:4Ezekiel 22:2Isaiah 58:1Ezekiel 16:2Micah 3:8 37For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, in the fire as food for their idols.[ † ]Ezekiel 16:38Ezekiel 16:20-21, 36, 45Ezekiel 20:26-31
38They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths.[ † ]2 Kings 21:4-7Ezekiel 5:11Ezekiel 7:20Ezekiel 22:8 39On the very day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary to profane it. Yes, they did this inside My house.[ † ]2 Kings 21:2-8
40Furthermore, you sisters sent messengers for men who came from afar; and behold, when they arrived, you bathed for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry.[ † ]Isaiah 57:9Ruth 3:32 Kings 9:30Jeremiah 4:30 41You sat on a couch of luxury with a table spread before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil,[ † ]Esther 1:6Isaiah 57:7Amos 2:8Amos 6:4Proverbs 7:17Ezekiel 16:18-19Hosea 2:8 42accompanied by the sound of a carefree crowd. Drunkards were brought in from the desert along with men from the rabble, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your head.
43Then I said of her who had grown old in adulteries: ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is!’
44And they slept with her as with a prostitute; they slept with Oholah and Oholibah, those lewd women. 45But righteous men will sentence them to the punishment of those who commit adultery and bloodshed, because they are adulteresses with blood on their hands.[ † ]Ezekiel 16:38Ezekiel 23:37
46This is what the Lord God says: ‘Bring a mob against them and consign them to terror and plunder.[ † ]Ezekiel 16:40 47The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords. They will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.[ † ]Leviticus 20:10Ezekiel 16:402 Chronicles 36:17-19Ezekiel 24:21 48So I will put an end to indecency in the land, and all the women will be admonished not to imitate your behavior.[ † ]Ezekiel 22:15Deuteronomy 13:112 Peter 2:6 49They will repay you for your indecency, and you will bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.’”[ † ]Isaiah 59:18Ezekiel 23:35Ezekiel 20:38-42, 44Ezekiel 25:5