Ezekiel 23
Open in the reader1Again the word of He-Who-Is came to me, saying,
2“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,
3and they played in Two-Straits, prostituting themselves from their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin bosoms caressed.
4The older was named Her-Tent, and her sister was named My-Tent-Is-in-Her. They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their identities, Her-Tent is Watch-Mountain, and My-Tent-Is-in-Her is Foundation-of-Peace.
5Her-Tent 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 Successful. She defiled herself with all the idols of those for whom she lusted.
8She did not give up the prostitution she began in Two-Straits, 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 My-Tent-Is-in-Her 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 My-Tent-Is-in-Her carried her prostitution even further. She saw the men portrayed on the wall, images of the Kasdites, engraved in vermilion,
15wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like officers of the Confusionians in Kasdites, the land of their birth.
16At the sight of them, she lusted for them and sent messengers to them in Kasdites.
17Then the Confusionians 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 My-Tent-Is-in-Her 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 Two-Straits
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 Two-Straitsians caressed your bosom and pressed your young breasts.
22Therefore, My-Tent-Is-in-Her, this is what the Lord He-Who-Is 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 Confusionians and all the Kasdites, the men of Punishment, 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 Two-Straits, and you will not lift your eyes to them or remember Two-Straits anymore.’
28For this is what the Lord He-Who-Is 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 He-Who-Is 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 Watch-Mountain.
34You will drink it and drain it; you will dash it to pieces, and tear your breasts. For I have spoken,’ declares the Lord He-Who-Is.
35Therefore this is what the Lord He-Who-Is says: ‘Because you have forgotten Me and have cast Me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and prostitution.’”
36Then He-Who-Is said to me: “Son of man, will you pass judgment against Her-Tent and My-Tent-Is-in-Her? 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 Rests.
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 Her-Tent and Her-Tent, 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 He-Who-Is 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 He-Who-Is.’”