Jerusalem as an Adulterous Wife

16 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, confront^(A) Jerusalem with her detestable practices^{(B) 3} and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry^(C) and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father^(D) was an Amorite^(E) and your mother a Hittite.^{(F) 4} On the day you were born^(G) your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. ⁵ No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.

⁶ “‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”^{[a](H) 7} I made you grow^(I) like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.^(J)

⁸ “‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment^(K) over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant^(L) with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.^(M)

⁹ “‘I bathed you with water and washed^(N) the blood from you and put ointments on you. ¹⁰ I clothed you with an embroidered^(O) dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen^(P) and covered you with costly garments.^{(Q) 11} I adorned you with jewelry:^(R) I put bracelets^(S) on your arms and a necklace^(T) around your neck, ¹² and I put a ring on your nose,^(U) earrings^(V) on your ears and a beautiful crown^(W) on your head.^{(X) 13} So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes^(Y) were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil^(Z) and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen.^{(AA) 14} And your fame^(AB) spread among the nations on account of your beauty,^(AC) because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AD)

¹⁵ “‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by^(AE) and your beauty became his.^{(AF) 16} You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places,^(AG) where you carried on your prostitution.^(AH) You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.^{[b] 17} You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them.^{(AI) 18} And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense^(AJ) before them. ¹⁹ Also the food I provided for you—the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AK)

²⁰ “‘And you took your sons and daughters^(AL) whom you bore to me^(AM) and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?^{(AN) 21} You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.^{(AO) 22} In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth,^(AP) when you were naked and bare,^(AQ) kicking about in your blood.^(AR)

²³ “‘Woe!^(AS) Woe to you, declares the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, ²⁴ you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine^(AT) in every public square.^{(AU) 25} At every street corner^(AV) you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by.^{(AW) 26} You engaged in prostitution^(AX) with the Egyptians,^(AY) your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger^(AZ) with your increasing promiscuity.^{(BA) 27} So I stretched out my hand^(BB) against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over^(BC) to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines,^(BD) who were shocked by your lewd conduct. ²⁸ You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians^(BE) too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied.^{(BF) 29} Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia,^[c](BG) a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.^(BH)

³⁰ “‘I am filled with fury against you,^[d] declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute!^{(BI) 31} When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines^(BJ) in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment.

³² “‘You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! ³³ All prostitutes receive gifts,^(BK) but you give gifts^(BL) to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.^{(BM) 34} So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you.

³⁵ “‘Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord! ³⁶ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood,^{(BN) 37} therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip^(BO) you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked.^{(BP) 38} I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood;^(BQ) I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger.^{(BR) 39} Then I will deliver you into the hands^(BS) of your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry and leave you stark naked.^{(BT) 40} They will bring a mob against you, who will stone^(BU) you and hack you to pieces with their swords. ⁴¹ They will burn down^(BV) your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women.^(BW) I will put a stop^(BX) to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers. ⁴² Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry.^(BY)

⁴³ “‘Because you did not remember^(BZ) the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down^(CA) on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices?^(CB)

⁴⁴ “‘Everyone who quotes proverbs^(CC) will quote this proverb about you: “Like mother, like daughter.” ⁴⁵ You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised^(CD) her husband^(CE) and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.^{(CF) 46} Your older sister^(CG) was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom.^{(CH) 47} You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they.^{(CI) 48} As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign^(CJ) Lord, your sister Sodom^(CK) and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.^(CL)

⁴⁹ “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:^(CM) She and her daughters were arrogant,^(CN) overfed and unconcerned;^(CO) they did not help the poor and needy.^{(CP) 50} They were haughty^(CQ) and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.^{(CR) 51} Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done.^{(CS) 52} Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous^(CT) than you. So then, be ashamed and bear^(CU) your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

⁵³ “‘However, I will restore^(CV) the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them,^{(CW) 54} so that you may bear your disgrace^(CX) and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. ⁵⁵ And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before.^{(CY) 56} You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, ⁵⁷ before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned^(CZ) by the daughters of Edom^[e](DA) and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you. ⁵⁸ You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the Lord.^(DB)

⁵⁹ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant.^{(DC) 60} Yet I will remember the covenant^(DD) I made with you in the days of your youth,^(DE) and I will establish an everlasting covenant^(DF) with you. ⁶¹ Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed^(DG) when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters,^(DH) but not on the basis of my covenant with you. ⁶² So I will establish my covenant^(DI) with you, and you will know that I am the Lord.^(DJ)

Rebellious Israel Purged

20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire^(A) of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.^(B)

² Then the word of the Lord came to me: ³ “Son of man, speak to the elders^(C) of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire^(D) of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(E)’

⁴ “Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors^{(F) 5} and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose^(G) Israel, I swore with uplifted hand^(H) to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.^(I)” ⁶ On that day I swore^(J) to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey,^(K) the most beautiful of all lands.^{(L) 7} And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images^(M) you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols^(N) of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.^(O)”

⁸ “‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me;^(P) they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.^(Q) So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.^{(R) 9} But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt.^(S) I did it to keep my name from being profaned^(T) in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites. ¹⁰ Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.^{(U) 11} I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.^{(V) 12} Also I gave them my Sabbaths^(W) as a sign^(X) between us,^(Y) so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.^(Z)

¹³ “‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled^(AA) against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws^(AB)—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths.^(AC) So I said I would pour out my wrath^(AD) on them and destroy^(AE) them in the wilderness.^{(AF) 14} But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned^(AG) in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.^{(AH) 15} Also with uplifted hand I swore^(AI) to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands^(AJ)— ¹⁶ because they rejected my laws^(AK) and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts^(AL) were devoted to their idols.^{(AM) 17} Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy^(AN) them or put an end to them in the wilderness. ¹⁸ I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents^(AO) or keep their laws or defile yourselves^(AP) with their idols. ¹⁹ I am the Lord your God;^(AQ) follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.^{(AR) 20} Keep my Sabbaths^(AS) holy, that they may be a sign^(AT) between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.^(AU)”

²¹ “‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws,^(AV) of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger^(AW) against them in the wilderness.^{(AX) 22} But I withheld^(AY) my hand, and for the sake of my name^(AZ) I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. ²³ Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter^(BA) them through the countries, ²⁴ because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees^(BB) and desecrated my Sabbaths,^(BC) and their eyes lusted after^(BD) their parents’ idols.^{(BE) 25} So I gave^(BF) them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;^{(BG) 26} I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice^(BH) of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.^(BI)’

²⁷ “Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this also your ancestors^(BJ) blasphemed^(BK) me by being unfaithful to me:^{(BL) 28} When I brought them into the land^(BM) I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings.^{(BN) 29} Then I said to them: What is this high place^(BO) you go to?’” (It is called Bamah^[a] to this day.)

Rebellious Israel Renewed

³⁰ “Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves^(BP) the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images?^{(BQ) 31} When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children^(BR) in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not let you inquire of me.^(BS)

³² “‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen. ³³ As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm^(BT) and with outpoured wrath.^{(BU) 34} I will bring you from the nations^(BV) and gather^(BW) you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand^(BX) and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.^{(BY) 35} I will bring you into the wilderness^(BZ) of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment^(CA) upon you. ³⁶ As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(CB) 37} I will take note of you as you pass under my rod,^(CC) and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.^{(CD) 38} I will purge^(CE) you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.^(CF)

³⁹ “‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols,^(CG) every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name^(CH) with your gifts and idols.^{(CI) 40} For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel,^(CJ) declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings^(CK) and your choice gifts,^[b] along with all your holy sacrifices.^{(CL) 41} I will accept you as fragrant incense^(CM) when I bring you out from the nations and gather^(CN) you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy^(CO) through you in the sight of the nations.^{(CP) 42} Then you will know that I am the Lord,^(CQ) when I bring you into the land of Israel,^(CR) the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors.^{(CS) 43} There you will remember your conduct^(CT) and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves^(CU) for all the evil you have done.^{(CV) 44} You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake^(CW) and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(CX)’”