International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1This message came to me from the LORD:

1The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,

2"Son of Man, here are two sisters who are daughters from the same mother.

2"Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother;

3They committed sexual immorality in Egypt. They did this in their youth. There, their breasts were caressed. Their virgin breasts were fondled.

3and they played the harlot in Egypt. They played the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and there their virgin bosom was handled.

4The older one was named Oholah and her sister was named Oholibah. They belonged to me and gave birth to sons and daughters. Now as to their real identities, Oholah refers to Samaria and Oholibah to Jerusalem."

4"Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. And they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah.

5"Oholah committed sexual immorality while she belonged to me. She lusted for Assyria's warriors,

5"Oholah played the harlot while she was Mine; and she lusted after her lovers, after the Assyrians, her neighbors,

6who were clothed in blue—including governors and commanders. All of them were desirable young men—horsemen mounted on horses.

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

7She bestowed her sexual favors on them—all of them, the best of the Assyrians—and with whomever she lusted for. "She defiled herself with all their idols.

7"She bestowed her harlotries on them, all of whom were the choicest men of Assyria; and with all whom she lusted after, with all their idols she defiled herself.

8She never abandoned the immorality that she practiced in Egypt during her youth, where they laid down with her and fondled her virgin breasts, lavishing her with all kinds of favors.

8"She did not forsake her harlotries from the time in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her, and they handled her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.

9Therefore, I turned her over to the control of her lovers, that is, into the control of the Assyrians for whom she lusted.

9"Therefore, I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted.

10They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters, and executed her with a sword. She became an object of ridicule among other nations when they punished her."

10"They uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, but they slew her with the sword. Thus she became a byword among women, and they executed judgments on her.

11"Her sister Oholibah saw this, but she was more corrupt in her lust and sexual immorality than her sister had been in her own sexual immorality.

11"Now her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was more corrupt in her lust than she, and her harlotries were more than the harlotries of her sister.

12She lusted after the Assyrians—governors, commanders, warriors clothed in gorgeous attire, cavalry mounted on their horses—all of them desirable young men.

12"She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and officials, the ones near, magnificently dressed, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men.

13I saw that she was defiled, because the two of them both were on the same path.

13"I saw that she had defiled herself; they both took the same way.

14"She became even more sexually immoral when she saw the images of the Chaldean men who had been carved in red on their walls.

14"So she increased her harlotries. And she saw men portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion,

15Girded with waistbands around their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looked like chariot officers, similar to the Babylonians from Chaldea, where they had been born.

15girded with belts on their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, like the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth.

16"She lusted after them when she saw them, so she sent messengers to summon them from Chaldea.

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

17The Babylonians came to her love nest and defiled her with their sexual immorality. As a result, she was defiled by them. Even so, she turned away from them in disgust.

17"The Babylonians came to her to the bed of love and defiled her with their harlotry. And when she had been defiled by them, she became disgusted with them.

18She displayed her immorality publicly and stripped herself naked, so I turned away in disgust from her, just as I had turned away in disgust from her sister.

18"She uncovered her harlotries and uncovered her nakedness; then I became disgusted with her, as I had become disgusted with her sister.

19"Nevertheless, she became even more sexually immoral, even reminiscing about when she was young, when she kept on practicing sexual immorality in the land of Egypt.

19"Yet she multiplied her harlotries, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the harlot in the land of Egypt.

20She lusted after her paramours, whose genitals are like those of donkeys, and whose emissions are like those of horses.

20"She lusted after their paramours, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose issue is like the issue of horses.

21Think about the wickedness that you practiced when you were young, when the Egyptians fondled your breasts, the breasts of your youth."

21"Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom because of the breasts of your youth.

22"Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Look! I'm about to stir up your lovers against you, the ones from whom you've turned away in disgust. I'm going to bring them against you from every direction—

22"Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold I will arouse your lovers against you, from whom you were alienated, and I will bring them against you from every side:

23the Babylonians, all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, and all of the Assyrians with them. They're all desirable young men, governors, commanders, chariot officers, and famous men, all of them 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 officials all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses.

24"'They'll invade you with weapons, chariots, wagons, and a vast army. They'll set themselves in place to attack you from every direction with large shields, small shields, and helmets. I'll turn over judgment to them, and they'll punish you according to their own standards.

24'They will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons, and with a company of peoples. They will set themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet; and I will commit the judgment to them, and they will judge you according to their customs.

25I'll expend my jealousy on you so they'll deal with you in anger. They'll cut off your noses and your ears. Your survivors will die violently. They'll take your sons and daughters away from you, but your survivors will be incinerated.

25'I will set My jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in wrath. They will remove your nose and your ears; and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will take your sons and your daughters; and your survivors will be consumed by the fire.

26They'll strip off your clothes and confiscate your jewelry.

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

27That's how I'll put an end to your obscene conduct and sexual immorality that you kept on practicing since the day you left the land of Egypt so that you won't look in Egypt's direction or even remember it anymore.'

27Thus I will make your lewdness and your harlotry brought from the land of Egypt to cease from you, so that you will not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.'

28"This is what the Lord GOD says, 'I'm about to turn you over to the control of those you hate, to the control of those from whom you turned away in disgust.

28"For thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will give you into the hand of those whom you hate, into the hand of those from whom you were alienated.

29They'll deal with you with hatred. They'll take away your productivity, leaving you naked and defenseless, so that the nakedness of your sexual immorality will be uncovered—your licentious sexual immorality.

29'They will deal with you in hatred, take all your property, and leave you naked and bare. And the nakedness of your harlotries will be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotries.

30These things will happen to you because of your sexual immorality that was patterned after what the nations do. You've been defiled by their idols.

30'These things will be done to you because you have played the harlot with the nations, because you have defiled yourself with their idols.

31You took the path of your sister, so I'll place her cup in your hand.'

31'You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand.'

32"This is what the Lord GOD says: 'You'll drink from your sister's cup, which is both large and deep. You'll become a laughing stock and an object of derision, since the cup is so full!

32"Thus says the Lord GOD, 'You will drink your sister's cup, Which is deep and wide. You will be laughed at and held in derision; It contains much.

33You'll be filled with drunkenness and grief. The cup that belongs to your sister Samaria is filled with horror and devastation,

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

34but you'll drink from it and drain it completely. As for the vessel, you'll break it to pieces and you'll tear at your breasts, for I've spoken,' declares the Lord GOD.

34'You will drink it and drain it. Then you will gnaw its fragments And tear your breasts; for I have spoken,' declares the Lord GOD.

35"Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Because you abandoned me and threw me behind your back, you will bear the consequences of your obscene conduct and sexual immorality.'"

35"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, bear now the punishment of your lewdness and your harlotries.'"

36Then the LORD spoke to me. "Son of Man, speak out in judgment of both Oholah and Oholibah. Make their detestable practices widely known,

36Moreover, the LORD said to me, "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.

37because they've committed adultery, and blood covers their hands. They've also committed adultery with their idols, making their sons born to me to pass through the fire as an offering to them.

37"For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. Thus they have committed adultery with their idols and even caused their sons, whom they bore to Me, to pass through the fire to them as food.

38"They've also done this to me: They defiled my sanctuary and profaned my Sabbaths, all at the same time!

38"Again, they have done this to Me: they have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and have profaned My sabbaths.

39When they killed their sons as offerings to their idols, they brought them to my sanctuary and defiled it. Look what they've done with my Temple!

39"For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary on the same day to profane it; and lo, thus they did within My house.

40"In addition, they sent messengers for men to come from afar. When they arrived, you bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes, adorned yourself with jewelry,

40"Furthermore, they have even sent for men who come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and lo, they came-- for whom you bathed, painted your eyes and decorated yourselves with ornaments;

41then sat down on an elegant bed. A table was arranged in front of it, on which you set out my incense and oil.

41and you sat on a splendid couch with a table arranged before it on which you had set My incense and My oil.

42The sound of a carefree multitude accompanied her. Men from a multitude of peoples were coming—including Sabeans from the wilderness, adorned with bracelets on their hands and beautiful crowns on their heads.

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

43"After she had worn herself out by her adulterous behavior, I asked her, 'Will they continue with their sexual immorality and with their prostitution?'

43"Then I said concerning her who was worn out by adulteries, 'Will they now commit adultery with her when she is thus?'

44They've gone to her, like men do, to have sex with a prostitute. They had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, those licentious women.

44"But they went in to her as they would go in to a harlot. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd women.

45Righteous men will judge them with punishments fit for adulterers and for those who shed blood, because they're adulterers with blood on their hands."

45"But they, righteous men, will judge them with the judgment of adulteresses and with the judgment of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands.

46This is what the Lord GOD says: "Bring an army against them and deliver them over to terror and plunder.

46"For thus says the Lord GOD, 'Bring up a company against them and give them over to terror and plunder.

47Then the army will stone them with stones and cut them to pieces with their swords. They'll kill their sons and daughters and incinerate their houses.

47'The company will stone them with stones and cut them down with their swords; they will slay their sons and their daughters and burn their houses with fire.

48I'll cause obscene conduct to stop throughout the land, because all the women will be admonished not to practice their obscene conduct.

48'Thus I will make lewdness cease from the land, that all women may be admonished and not commit lewdness as you have done.

49You'll receive the consequences for your obscene conduct and bear the punishment for your sins of idolatry. Then you'll know that I am the Lord GOD."

49Your lewdness will be requited upon you, and you will bear the penalty of worshiping your idols; thus you will know that I am the Lord GOD.'"

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org