Berean Study Bible

English Standard Version

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

1The word of the LORD came to me:

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

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

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

3They played the whore in Egypt; they played the whore in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms handled.

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.

4Oholah 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.

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

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

6clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all desirable young men, horsemen mounted on steeds.

6clothed in purple, governors and commanders, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses.

7She offered sexual favors to all the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all the idols of those for whom she lusted.

7She 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.

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.

8She 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.

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

9Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the Assyrians, after 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.

10These 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.

11Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.

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

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

12She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and commanders, warriors clothed in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men.

13And I saw that she too had defiled herself; both of them had taken the same path.

13And I saw that she was defiled; they both took the same way.

14But Oholibah carried her prostitution even further. She saw the men portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans, engraved in vermilion,

14But she carried her whoring further. She saw men portrayed on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed 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.

15wearing 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.

16At the sight of them, she lusted for them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.

16When she saw them, she lusted after 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.

17And 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.

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.

18When 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.

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

19Yet she increased her whoring, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore 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.

20and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses.

21So you revisited the indecency of your youth, when the Egyptians caressed your bosom and pressed your young breasts.

21Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled 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—

22Therefore, 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:

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.

23the 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.

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.

24And they shall come against you from the north 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.

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.

25And 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.

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

26They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels.

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.’

27Thus 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.

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.

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,

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

29and 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

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

30have brought this upon you, because you played the whore 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.’

31You have gone the way of your sister; therefore I will give 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.

32Thus 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;

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

33you will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow. A cup of horror 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.

34you shall drink it and drain it out, and gnaw its shards, 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.’ ”

35Therefore 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.”

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

36The LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? 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.

37For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up to them for food the children whom they had borne to me.

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

38Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day 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.

39For 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.

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.

40They 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.

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

41You sat on a stately couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed 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.

42The sound of a carefree multitude was with her; and with men of the common sort, drunkards were brought from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on the hands of the women, and beautiful crowns on their heads.

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!’

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

44And they slept with her as with a prostitute; they slept with Oholah and Oholibah, those lewd women.

44For they have gone in to her, as men go in to a prostitute. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, 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.

45But 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.”

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

46For thus says the Lord GOD: “Bring up a vast host against them, and make them an object of terror and a 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.

47And 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.

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

48Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not commit lewdness as you have done.

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.’ ”

49And 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.”

The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.