Ezekiel 23-26

1Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,

3and they played in Egypt, prostituting themselves from their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin bosoms caressed.

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.

5Oholah prostituted herself while she was still Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors

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.

9Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians for whom she lusted.

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.

12She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors dressed in splendor, horsemen riding on steeds, all desirable young men.

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,

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.

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.

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.

19Yet she multiplied her promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth, when she had prostituted herself in the land of Egypt

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.

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—

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.

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.

26They will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry.

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.’

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.

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

30have brought these things upon you, because you have prostituted yourself with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.

31Because you have followed the path of your sister, I will put her cup into your hand.’

32This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You will drink your sister’s cup, a cup deep and wide. It will bring scorn and derision, for it holds so much.

33You will be filled with drunkenness and grief, with a cup of devastation and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria.

34You will drink it and drain it; you will dash it to pieces, and tear your breasts. For I have spoken,’ declares the Lord GOD.

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.’”

36Then the LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you pass judgment against Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.

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.

38They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths.

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.

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.

41You sat on a couch of luxury with a table spread before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil,

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.

46This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Bring a mob against them and consign them to terror and plunder.

47The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords. They will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.

48So I will put an end to indecency in the land, and all the women will be admonished not to imitate your behavior.

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.’”

1In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, write down today’s date, for on this very day the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem.

3Now speak a parable to this rebellious house and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Put the pot on the fire; put it on and pour in the water.

4Put in the pieces of meat, every good piece— thigh and shoulder— fill it with choice bones.

5Take the choicest of the flock and pile the fuel beneath it. Bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it.’

6Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now rusted, whose rust will not come off! Empty it piece by piece; cast no lots for its contents.

7For the blood she shed is still within her; she poured it out on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dust.

8In order to stir up wrath and take vengeance, I have placed her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered.’

9Yes, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed! I, too, will pile the kindling high.

10Pile on the logs and kindle the fire; cook the meat well and mix in the spices; let the bones be burned.

11Set the empty pot on its coals until it becomes hot and its copper glows. Then its impurity will melt within; its rust will be consumed.

12It has frustrated every effort; its thick rust has not been removed, even by the fire.

13Because of the indecency of your uncleanness I tried to cleanse you, but you would not be purified from your filthiness. You will not be pure again until My wrath against you has subsided.

14I, the LORD, have spoken; the time is coming, and I will act. I will not refrain or show pity, nor will I relent. I will judge you according to your ways and deeds,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

15Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

16“Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow.

17Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.”

18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And the next morning I did as I had been commanded.

19Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean to us?”

20So I answered them, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying:

21Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul. And the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.’

22Then you will do as I have done: You will not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.

23Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins, and you will groan among yourselves.

24‘Thus Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’

25And you, son of man, know that on the day I take away their stronghold, their pride and joy—the desire of their eyes which uplifted their souls—and their sons and daughters as well,

26on that day a fugitive will come and tell you the news.

27On that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you will speak and no longer be mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.”

1Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them.

3Tell the Ammonites to hear the word of the Lord GOD, for this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you exclaimed, “Aha!” when My sanctuary was profaned, when the land of Israel was laid waste, and when the house of Judah went into exile,

4therefore I will indeed give you as a possession to the people of the East. They will set up their camps and pitch their tents among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.

5I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels, and Ammon a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’

6For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you clapped your hands and stomped your feet and rejoiced over the land of Israel with a heart full of contempt,

7therefore I will indeed stretch out My hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the LORD.’

8This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because Moab and Seir said, “Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations,”

9therefore I will indeed expose the flank of Moab beginning with its frontier cities—Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim—the glory of the land.

10I will give it along with the Ammonites as a possession to the people of the East, so that the Ammonites will no longer be remembered among the nations.

11So I will execute judgments on Moab, and they will know that I am the LORD.’

12This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah, and in so doing incurred grievous guilt,

13therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I will stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off from it both man and beast. I will make it a wasteland, and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword.

14I will take My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, and they will deal with Edom according to My anger and wrath. Then they will know My vengeance, declares the Lord GOD.’

15This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance, taking vengeance with malice of soul to destroy Judah with ancient hostility,

16therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant along the coast.

17I will execute great vengeance against them with furious reproof. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I lay My vengeance upon them.’”

1In the eleventh month of the twelfth year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gate to the nations is broken; it has swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will be filled,’

3therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, O Tyre, I am against you, and I will raise up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves.

4They will destroy the walls of Tyre and demolish her towers. I will scrape the soil from her and make her a bare rock.

5She will become a place to spread nets in the sea, for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD. She will become plunder for the nations,

6and the villages on her mainland will be slain by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’

7For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with cavalry and a great company of troops.

8He will slaughter the villages of your mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works against you, build a ramp to your walls, and raise his shields against you.

9He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his axes.

10His multitude of horses will cover you in their dust. When he enters your gates as an army entering a breached city, your walls will shake from the noise of cavalry, wagons, and chariots.

11The hooves of his horses will trample all your streets. He will slaughter your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground.

12They will plunder your wealth and pillage your merchandise. They will demolish your walls, tear down your beautiful homes, and throw your stones and timber and soil into the water.

13So I will silence the sound of your songs, and the music of your lyres will no longer be heard.

14I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread the fishing nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I, the LORD, have spoken, declares the Lord GOD.’

15This is what the Lord GOD says to Tyre: ‘Will not the coastlands quake at the sound of your downfall, when the wounded groan at the slaughter in your midst?

16All the princes of the sea will descend from their thrones, remove their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every moment, appalled over you.

17Then they will lament for you, saying, “How you have perished, O city of renown inhabited by seafaring men— she who was powerful on the sea, along with her people, who imposed terror on all peoples!

18Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your downfall; the islands in the sea are dismayed by your demise.”’

19For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When I make you a desolate city like other deserted cities, and when I raise up the deep against you so that the mighty waters cover you,

20then I will bring you down with those who descend to the Pit, to the people of antiquity. I will make you dwell in the earth below like the ancient ruins, with those who descend to the Pit, so that you will no longer be inhabited or set in splendor in the land of the living.

21I will make you an object of horror, and you will be no more. You will be sought, but will never be found,’ declares the Lord GOD.”