The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Ezekiel 16
1 Again Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know
her abominations;
3 and say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says to
Jerusalem: “Your origin and your birth is
of the land of the Canaanite. An Amorite
was your father, and your mother was a
Hittite.
4 As for your birth, in the day you were
born your navel was not cut. You weren’t
washed in water to cleanse you. You
weren’t salted at all, nor wrapped in blankets at all.
5 No eye pitied you, to do any of these
things to you, to have compassion on you;
but you were cast out in the open field,
because you were abhorred in the day that
you were born.
6 “ ‘ “When I passed by you, and saw you
wallowing in your blood, I said to you,
‘Though you are in your blood, live!’ Yes, I
said to you, ‘Though you are in your blood,
live!’
7 I caused you to multiply as that which
grows in the field, and you increased and grew
great, and you attained to excellent
beauty. Your breasts were formed, and
your hair grew; yet you were naked and
bare.
8 Now when I passed by you, and
looked at you, behold, your time was the
time oflove; and I spread my garment over
you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I
pledged myself to you and entered into a
covenant with you,” says the Lord Yahweh,
“and you became mine.
9 Then I washed you with water.
Yes, I thoroughly washed away your blood
from you, and I anointed you with oil.
10 I clothed you also with embroidered
work and put leather sandals on you. I
dressed you with fine linen and covered
you with silk.
11 I decked you with ornaments, put
bracelets on your hands, and put a chain
on your neck.
12 I put a ring on your nose, earrings in
your ears, and a beautiful crown on your
head.
13 Thus you were decked with gold and
silver. Your clothing was of fine linen,
silk, and embroidered work. You ate fine
flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly
beautiful, and you prospered to royal
estate.
14 Your renown went out among the nations
for your beauty; for it was perfect,
through my majesty which I had put on
you,” says the Lord Yahweh.
15 But you trusted in your beauty,
and played the prostitute because of your
renown, and poured out your prostitution
on everyone who passed by. It was his.
16 You took some of your garments, and
made for yourselves high places decked
with various colors, and played the prostitute
on them. This shouldn’t happen,
neither shall it be.
17 You also took your beautiful jewels of
my gold and of my silver, which I had given
you, and made for yourself images of men,
and played the prostitute with them.
18 You took your embroidered garments,
covered them, and set my oil and my incense before them.
19 My bread also which I gave you, fine
flour, oil, and honey, with which I fed you,
you even set it before them for a pleasant
aroma; and so it was,” says the Lord Yahweh.
20 Moreover you have taken your
sons and your daughters, whom you have
borne to me, and you have sacrificed these
to them to be devoured. Was your prostitution a small matter,
21 that you have slain my children and
delivered them up, in causing them to pass
through the fire to them?
22 In all your abominations and your
prostitution you have not remembered the
days of your youth, when you were naked
and bare, and were wallowing in your
blood.
23 It has happened after all your
wickedness—woe, woe to you!” says the
Lord Yahweh—
24 “that you have built for yourselves a
vaulted place, and have made yourselves
a lofty place in every street.
25 You have built your lofty place at the
head of every way, and have made your
beauty an abomination, and have opened
your feet to everyone who passed by, and
multiplied your prostitution.
26 You have also committed sexual immorality
with the Egyptians, your neighbors, great of
flesh; and have multiplied
your prostitution, to provoke me to anger.
27 See therefore, I have stretched out my
hand over you, and have diminished your
portion, and delivered you to the will of
those who hate you, the daughters of the
Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd
way.
28 You have played the prostitute also
with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable;
yes, you have played the prostitute
with them, and yet you weren’t satisfied.
29 You have moreover multiplied your
prostitution to the land of merchants, to
Chaldea; and yet you weren’t satisfied with
this.
30 How weak is your heart,” says
the Lord Yahweh, “since you do all these
things,the work of animpudentprostitute;
31 in that you build your vaulted place at
the head of every way, and make your lofty
place in every street, and have not been as
a prostitute, in that you scorn pay.
32 Adulterous wife, who takes
strangers instead of her husband!
33 People give gifts to all prostitutes; but
you give your gifts to all your lovers, and
bribe them, that they may come to you on
every side for your prostitution.
34 You are different from other women
in your prostitution, in that no one follows
you to play the prostitute; and whereas
you give hire, and no hire is given to you,
therefore you are different.” ’
35 “Therefore, prostitute, hear Yahweh’s
word:
36 ‘The Lord Yahweh says, “Because your
filthiness was poured out, and your nakedness
uncovered through your prostitution
with your lovers; and because of all the
idols of your abominations, and for the
blood of your children, that you gave to
them;
37 therefore see, I will gather all your
lovers, with whom you have taken pleasure,
and all those whom you have loved,
with all those whom you have hated. I
will evengather themagainst youonevery
side, and will uncover your nakedness to
them, that they may see all your nakedness.
38 I will judge you as women who break
wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I
will bring on you the blood of wrath and
jealousy.
39 I will also give you into their hand,
and they will throw down your vaulted
place, and break down your lofty places.
They will strip you of your clothes and take
your beautiful jewels. They will leave you
naked and bare.
40 They will also bring up a company
against you, and they will stone you with
stones, and thrust you through with their
swords.
41 They will burn your houses with fire,
and execute judgments on you in the sight
of many women. I will cause you to cease
from playing the prostitute, and you will
also give no hire any more.
42 So I will cause my wrath toward you
to rest, and my jealousy will depart from
you. I will be quiet, and will not be angry
any more.
43 Because you have not remembered the
days of your youth, but have
raged against me in all these things;
therefore, behold, I also will bring your way on
your head,” says the Lord Yahweh: “and
youshallnot committhis lewdness withall
your abominations.
44 Behold, everyone who uses
proverbs will use this proverb against
you, saying, ‘As is the mother, so is her
daughter.’
45 You are the daughter of your mother,
who loathes 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, and your
father an Amorite.
46 Your elder sister is Samaria, who
dwells at your left hand, she and her
daughters; and your younger sister, who
dwells at your right hand, is Sodom with
her daughters.
47 Yet you have not walked in their ways,
nor done their abominations; but soon you
were more corrupt than they in all your
ways.
48 As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh,
“Sodom your sister has not done, she nor
her daughters, as you have done, you and
your daughters.
49 “ ‘ “Behold, this was the iniquity of
your sister Sodom: pride, fullness of
bread, and prosperous ease was in her
and in her daughters. She also didn’t
strengthen the hand ofthe poor and needy.
50 They were arrogant and committed
abomination before me. Therefore I took
them away when I saw it.
51 Samaria hasn’t committed half of your
sins; but you have multiplied your abominations
more than they, and have justified your
sisters by all your abominations which you have done.
52 You also bear your own shame yourself, in
that you have given judgment for
your sisters; through your sins that you
have committed more abominable than they,
they are more righteous than you.
Yes, be also confounded, and bear your
shame, in that you have justified your sisters.
53 I will reverse their captivity, the
captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and
the captivity of Samaria and her daughters,
and the captivity of your captives
among them;
54 that you may bear your own shame,
and may be ashamed because of all that
you have done, in that you are a comfort
to them.
55 Your sisters, Sodom and her daughters,
will return to their former estate;
andSamaria andherdaughters will return
to their former estate; and you and your
daughters will return to your former estate.
56 For your sister Sodom was not mentioned by
your mouth in the day of your pride,
57 before your wickedness was uncovered,
as at the time of the reproach of
the daughters of Syria, and of all who
are around her, the daughters of the
Philistines, who despise you all around.
58 You have borne your lewdness and
your abominations,” says Yahweh.
59 “ ‘For the Lord Yahweh says: “I will
also deal with you as you have done, who
have despised the oath in breaking the
covenant.
60 Nevertheless I will remember my
covenant with you in the days of your
youth, and I will establish an everlasting
covenant with you.
61 Then you will remember your ways
and be ashamed when you receive
your sisters, your elder sisters and your
younger; and I will give them to you for
daughters, but not by your covenant.
62 I will establish my covenant with you.
Then you will know that I am Yahweh;
63 that you may remember, and be confounded,
and never open your mouth any
more because of your shame, when I have
forgiven you all that you have done,” says
the Lord Yahweh.