New King James Version

English Standard Version

Two Harlot Sisters

The word of the Lord came again to me, saying:

1

Oholah and Oholibah

The word of the Lord came to me:

2

“Son of man, there were two women,
The daughters of one mother.

2

“Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother.

3

They committed harlotry in Egypt,
They committed harlotry in their youth;
Their breasts were there embraced,
Their virgin bosom was there pressed.

3

They played the whore in Egypt; they played the whore in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosomsa handled.

4

Their names: [a]Oholah the elder and [b]Oholibah her sister;
They were Mine,
And they bore sons and daughters.
As for their names,
Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.

4

Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

5

The Older Sister, Samaria

“Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine;
And she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring Assyrians,

5

“Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors

6

Who were clothed in purple,
Captains and rulers,
All of them desirable young men,
Horsemen riding on horses.

6

clothed in purple, governors and commanders, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses.

7

Thus she committed her harlotry with them,
All of them choice men of Assyria;
And with all for whom she lusted,
With all their idols, she defiled herself.

7

She bestowed her whoring upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them, and she defiled herself with all the idols of everyone after whom she lusted.

8

She has never given up her harlotry brought from Egypt,
For in her youth they had lain with her,
Pressed her virgin bosom,
And poured out their immorality upon her.

8

She did not give up her whoring that she had begun in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her and handled her virgin bosom and poured out their whoring lust upon her.

9

“Therefore I have delivered her
Into the hand of her lovers,
Into the hand of the Assyrians,
For whom she lusted.

9

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

10

They uncovered her nakedness,
Took away her sons and daughters,
And slew her with the sword;
She became a byword among women,
For they had executed judgment on her.

10

These uncovered her nakedness; they seized her sons and her daughters; and as for her, they killed her with the sword; and she became a byword among women, when judgment had been executed on her.

11

The Younger Sister, Jerusalem

“Now although her sister Oholibah saw this, she became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her harlotry more corrupt than her sister’s harlotry.

11

“Her sister Oholibah saw this, and she became more corrupt than her sisterb in her lust and in her whoring, which was worse than that of her sister.

12

“She lusted for the neighboring Assyrians,
Captains and rulers,
Clothed most gorgeously,
Horsemen riding on horses,
All of them desirable young men.

12

She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and commanders, warriors clothed in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men.

13

Then I saw that she was defiled;
Both took the same way.

13

And I saw that she was defiled; they both took the same way.

14

But she increased her harlotry;
She looked at men portrayed on the wall,
Images of Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion,

14

But she carried her whoring further. She saw men portrayed on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion,

15

Girded with belts around their waists,
Flowing turbans on their heads,
All of them looking like captains,
In the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea,
The land of their nativity.

15

wearing belts on their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them having the appearance of officers, a likeness of Babylonians whose native land was Chaldea.

16

As soon as her eyes saw them,
She lusted for them
And sent messengers to them in Chaldea.

16

When she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.

17

“Then the [c]Babylonians came to her, into the bed of love,
And they defiled her with their immorality;
So she was defiled by them, and alienated herself from them.

17

And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, she turned from them in disgust.

18

She revealed her harlotry and uncovered her nakedness.
Then I alienated Myself from her,
As I had alienated Myself from her sister.

18

When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister.

19

“Yet she multiplied her harlotry
In calling to remembrance the days of her youth,
When she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.

19

Yet she increased her whoring, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt

20

For she lusted for her [d]paramours,
Whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys,
And whose issue is like the issue of horses.

20

and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses.

21

Thus you called to remembrance the lewdness of your youth,
When the Egyptians pressed your bosom
Because of your youthful breasts.

21

Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressedc your young breasts.”

22

Judgment on Jerusalem

“Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord God:
‘Behold, I will stir up your lovers against you,
From whom you have alienated yourself,
And I will bring them against you from every side:

22

Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will stir up against you your lovers from whom you turned in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side:

23

The Babylonians,
All the Chaldeans,
Pekod, Shoa, Koa,
All the Assyrians with them,
All of them desirable young men,
Governors and rulers,
Captains and men of renown,
All of them riding on horses.

23

the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, governors and commanders all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses.

24

And they shall come against you
With chariots, wagons, and war-horses,
With a horde of people.
They shall array against you
Buckler, shield, and helmet all around.
‘I will delegate judgment to them,
And they shall judge you according to their judgments.

24

And they shall come against you from the northd with chariots and wagons and a host of peoples. They shall set themselves against you on every side with buckler, shield, and helmet; and I will commit the judgment to them, and they shall judge you according to their judgments.

25

I will set My jealousy against you,
And they shall deal furiously with you;
They shall remove your nose and your ears,
And your remnant shall fall by the sword;
They shall take your sons and your daughters,
And your remnant shall be devoured by fire.

25

And I will direct my jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in fury. They shall cut off your nose and your ears, and your survivors shall fall by the sword. They shall seize your sons and your daughters, and your survivors shall be devoured by fire.

26

They shall also strip you of your clothes
And take away your beautiful jewelry.

26

They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels.

27

‘Thus I will make you cease your lewdness and your harlotry
Brought from the land of Egypt,
So that you will not lift your eyes to them,
Nor remember Egypt anymore.’

27

Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your whoring begun in the land of Egypt, so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.

28

“For thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hand of those you hate, into the hand of those from whom you alienated yourself.

28

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom you turned in disgust,

29

They will deal hatefully with you, take away all you have worked for, and leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotry.

29

and they shall deal with you in hatred and take away all the fruit of your labor and leave you naked and bare, and the nakedness of your whoring shall be uncovered. Your lewdness and your whoring

30

I will do these things to you because you have gone as a harlot after the Gentiles, because you have become defiled by their idols.

30

have brought this upon you, because you played the whore with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.

31

You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will put her cup in your hand.’

31

You have gone the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand.

32

“Thus says the Lord God:
‘You shall drink of your sister’s cup,
The deep and wide one;
You shall be laughed to scorn
And held in derision;
It contains much.

32

Thus says the Lord God:
“You shall drink your sister’s cup
that is deep and large;
you shall be laughed at and held in derision,
for it contains much;

33

You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
The cup of horror and desolation,
The cup of your sister Samaria.

33

you will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow.
A cup of horror and desolation,
the cup of your sister Samaria;

34

You shall drink and drain it,
You shall break its [e]shards,
And tear at your own breasts;
For I have spoken,’
Says the Lord God.

34

you shall drink it and drain it out,
and gnaw its shards,
and tear your breasts;
for I have spoken, declares the Lord God.

35

“Therefore thus says the Lord God:
‘Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back,
Therefore you shall bear the penalty
Of your lewdness and your harlotry.’ ”

35

Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you yourself must bear the consequences of your lewdness and whoring.”

36

Both Sisters Judged

The Lord also said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.

36

The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations.

37

For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them.

37

For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered upe to them for food the children whom they had borne to me.

38

Moreover they have done this to Me: They have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and profaned My Sabbaths.

38

Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths.

39

For after they had slain their children for their idols, on the same day they came into My sanctuary to profane it; and indeed thus they have done in the midst of My house.

39

For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house.

40

“Furthermore you sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and there they came. And you washed yourself for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments.

40

They even sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and behold, they came. For them you bathed yourself, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments.

41

You sat on a stately couch, with a table prepared before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil.

41

You sat on a stately couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed my incense and my oil.

42

The sound of a carefree multitude was with her, and [f]Sabeans were brought from the wilderness with men of the common sort, who put bracelets on their [g]wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads.

42

The sound of a carefree multitude was with her; and with men of the common sort, drunkardsf were brought from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on the hands of the women, and beautiful crowns on their heads.

43

Then I said concerning her who had grown old in adulteries, ‘Will they commit harlotry with her now, and she with them?’

43

“Then I said of her who was worn out by adultery, ‘Now they will continue to use her for a whore, even her!’g

44

Yet they went in to her, as men go in to a woman who plays the harlot; thus they went in to Oholah and Oholibah, the lewd women.

44

For they have gone in to her, as men go in to a prostitute. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, lewd women!

45

But righteous men will judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.

45

But righteous men shall pass judgment on them with the sentence of adulteresses, and with the sentence of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.”

46

“For thus says the Lord God: ‘Bring up an assembly against them, give them up to trouble and plunder.

46

For thus says the Lord God: “Bring up a vast host against them, and make them an object of terror and a plunder.

47

The assembly shall stone them with stones and [h]execute them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire.

47

And the host shall stone them and cut them down with their swords. They shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses.

48

Thus I will cause lewdness to cease from the land, that all women may be taught not to practice your lewdness.

48

Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not commit lewdness as you have done.

49

They shall repay you for your lewdness, and you shall pay for your idolatrous sins. Then you shall know that I am the Lord God.’ ”

49

And they shall return your lewdness upon you, and you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and you shall know that I am the Lord God.”

Parallel

New King James Version

English Standard Version

Ezekiel 23

Ezekiel 23