Ezekiel 23 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Ezekiel 23 meaning explained in AI Summary

Ezekiel 23 is a highly symbolic and graphic chapter that uses an allegory of two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah, to represent the kingdoms of Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah), respectively. It serves as a scathing critique of their idolatry and spiritual unfaithfulness to God.

of the chapter:

The Allegory: Oholah and Oholibah are portrayed as prostitutes, their lovers representing the various nations and deities they worshipped instead of God.
Oholah's Sins (Samaria): The chapter details Oholah's (Samaria's) infatuation with Egypt and Assyria, symbolizing their alliances with foreign powers and adoption of their idols. This ultimately leads to their destruction.
Oholibah's Sins (Judah): Despite witnessing Samaria's downfall, Oholibah (Judah) follows the same path, engaging in even more depraved idolatry and alliances with Babylon and other nations.
God's Judgment: God, portrayed as a jealous husband, expresses his anger and disgust at their betrayal. He declares his judgment upon both sisters, promising destruction and exile as consequences for their actions.
A Warning to Judah: The chapter serves as a stark warning to Judah, highlighting that they will face the same fate as Samaria if they do not repent and turn back to God.

Key Themes:

Idolatry and Spiritual Adultery: The central theme is the condemnation of worshipping other gods and forming alliances with foreign nations, which is seen as a betrayal of God's covenant.
Consequences of Sin: The chapter emphasizes that there are severe consequences for turning away from God, including destruction and exile.
God's Jealousy and Justice: God is portrayed as a jealous God who will not tolerate the worship of other deities. His justice is presented as inevitable and severe.

Overall, Ezekiel 23 is a disturbing yet powerful chapter that uses shocking imagery to convey the seriousness of idolatry and the importance of remaining faithful to God. It serves as a reminder that turning away from God has dire consequences.

Ezekiel 23 bible study ai commentary

Ezekiel 23 presents a graphic and extended allegory of two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah, representing the capitals Samaria (Northern Kingdom of Israel) and Jerusalem (Southern Kingdom of Judah). The chapter details their political and spiritual unfaithfulness to God, which is depicted as relentless prostitution. Their lust for foreign alliances, first with Egypt, then Assyria, and finally Babylon, is condemned as adultery against their covenant God. The prophecy culminates in the declaration that Judah (Oholibah), having failed to learn from Israel's (Oholah's) downfall, will face an even more severe judgment from the very "lovers" she pursued.

Ezekiel 23 context

This prophecy was delivered by Ezekiel in Babylonian exile around 588-587 B.C., just before the final siege and destruction of Jerusalem. The immediate historical context is King Zedekiah of Judah's rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Zedekiah broke his vassal treaty and sought a military alliance with Egypt for protection, an act Ezekiel condemns as the height of spiritual adultery. Culturally, suzerain-vassal treaties in the Ancient Near East were often framed with language of exclusive loyalty, akin to a marriage covenant. By framing Israel's covenant in these terms, God casts political unfaithfulness as a deep personal and spiritual betrayal. The shocking sexual language is intentionally provocative, designed to reveal to the exiles the disgusting nature of their sin from God's perspective.

Ezekiel 23:1-4

The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. They committed harlotry in Egypt, they committed harlotry in their youth; there their breasts were pressed, and there their virgin bosoms were handled. Their names: Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister. They were Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.”

In-depth-analysis

Two women, one mother: Both kingdoms, Israel and Judah, share a common origin from the single nation of Israel that came out of Egypt.
Harlotry in Egypt: Their spiritual unfaithfulness began at the nation's inception. This is not just a reference to their slavery but to their idolatrous tendencies even before and during the Exodus.
Oholah (אׇהֳלָה): Literally "Her own tent." This signifies Samaria's self-established, illegitimate places of worship (e.g., the golden calves at Dan and Bethel), in contrast to the one God ordained.
Oholibah (אׇהֳלִיבָה): Literally "My tent is in her." This name signifies that God's true dwelling place, the Temple, was in Jerusalem. This privilege makes Jerusalem's harlotry even more egregious.
They were Mine: God explicitly states His covenant relationship with them, framing Himself as the wronged husband. This is the basis for the charge of adultery.

Bible references

Jeremiah 3:7-8: 'And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.' (Direct parallel of the two sisters allegory).
Ezekiel 16:22: 'And in all your abominations and acts of harlotry you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare...' (Echoes the "harlotry in their youth in Egypt" theme).
Hosea 2:2: 'Bring charges against your mother, bring charges; For she is not My wife, nor am I her Husband! Let her put away her harlotries from her sight...' (The divine husband/unfaithful wife motif).

Cross references

Lev 20:5 (idolatry as prostitution); Jos 24:14 (idols served in Egypt); 1 Kin 12:28-30 (Samaria's self-made religion); Exo 32:1-4 (idolatry at Sinai).

Ezekiel 23:5-10

“Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine; and she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring Assyrians... Thus she committed her harlotries with them... Yet she did not forsake her harlotry brought from Egypt... Therefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. They uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword. She became a byword among women, for they had executed judgment on her.”

In-depth-analysis

Lusted for... the Assyrians: This points to the Northern Kingdom's political strategy of seeking alliances with Assyria, rather than trusting in God (e.g., King Menahem paying tribute to Pul of Assyria).
Did not forsake her harlotry from Egypt: The foundation of sin remained. Alliances with Assyria were just a continuation of the same faithless pattern that began with a spiritual attachment to Egypt.
Delivered her into the hand of her lovers: The principle of divine justice is clear: the object of sinful desire becomes the instrument of punishment. Assyria, whom Samaria courted, ultimately destroyed and exiled her in 722 B.C.
Uncovered her nakedness: A metaphor for total defeat, humiliation, and the shame of exile, where a nation is stripped of all its strength and honor.

Bible references

2 Kings 17:5-6: 'Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years... the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria...' (Historical fulfillment of this judgment).
Hosea 8:9: 'For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild donkey wandering alone; Ephraim has hired lovers.' (Condemns the same political prostitution with Assyria).

Cross references

2 Kin 15:19-20 (Menahem's tribute); Hos 5:13 (Ephraim going to Assyria); Isa 7:1-9 (Judah tempted to seek Assyrian help).

Ezekiel 23:11-21

“Now although her sister Oholibah saw this, she became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her harlotry more corrupt than her sister’s harlotry... She lusted for the Assyrians... She added to her harlotries; for she saw men portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion... As soon as her eyes saw them, she lusted for them... Then she increased her harlotries, and remembered the days of her youth, when she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. For she lusted for her paramours, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.”

In-depth-analysis

Saw this, she became more corrupt: Judah’s great sin was failing to learn from her sister's judgment. Possessing the Temple and a clearer history of God's direct intervention, her rebellion was far worse.
Images of the Chaldeans: This likely refers to Judean envoys being impressed by the might and grandeur of the rising Babylonian empire, perhaps seeing their lavish reliefs and art, which fueled a desire for political connection.
Flesh of donkeys... issue of horses: This shockingly vulgar language is meant to be jarring. It describes Judah's degrading and insatiable lust for the perceived strength and virility (military power) of foreign nations, especially Egypt, whom Zedekiah trusted. The prophet uses extreme language to convey the extreme filth of their idolatry in God's eyes.
Remembered the days of her youth: Judah's turning back to an alliance with Egypt is a regression to her original and foundational sin.

Bible references

Jeremiah 2:18: 'And now what have you to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of the Sihor? Or what have you to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?' (Questions the folly of seeking help from both Egypt and Assyria/Babylon).
2 Kings 20:12-13: 'At that time... the king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah... And Hezekiah... showed them all the house of his treasures...' (An early instance of Judah flaunting its wealth to Babylon, showing an unhealthy fascination).

Cross references

2 Kin 16:7-10 (Ahaz’s sin with Assyria); Jer 2:36 (gadding about to change your way); Isa 30:1-3 (Woe to those who go down to Egypt); Jer 37:7 (prophecy of Egypt’s failed help).

Ezekiel 23:22-31

“Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I will raise up your lovers against you, from whom you have turned in disgust... the Babylonians... Chaldeans... Pekod, Shoa, and Koa... They shall come against you with chariots... and they shall judge you according to their judgments... I will set My jealousy against you, and they shall deal furiously with you; they shall take away your nose and your ears... they shall strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewelry.’”

In-depth-analysis

I will raise up your lovers against you: Again, the instrument of punishment is the former object of illicit desire. Babylon and her allied tribes (Pekod, Shoa, Koa) will be God’s agent of judgment.
Take away your nose and your ears: This reflects the brutal punishments for adultery in some ancient cultures (e.g., Assyrian law codes). The punishment graphically fits the allegorical crime, signifying public humiliation, disfigurement, and loss of identity.
From whom you have turned in disgust: Judah’s political affections were fickle. After becoming a vassal to Babylon, she quickly grew tired of the relationship and turned back to Egypt. Her revulsion now will be met with their fury.
According to their judgments: God will use the pagan nations' own brutal standards of justice to punish Judah, abandoning her to the cruel consequences of her choices.

Bible references

Revelation 17:16: 'And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.' (The "Great Harlot" of Revelation is similarly destroyed by her former political partners).
Lamentations 1:8: 'Jerusalem has sinned grievously, therefore she has become vile. All who honored her despise her because they have seen her nakedness...' (A direct description of the shame prophesied here).

Cross references

Jer 21:7 (delivery into Nebuchadnezzar's hand); Hab 1:6 (God raising up the Chaldeans); Deu 28:49-50 (prophecy of a fierce nation coming against Israel).

Ezekiel 23:32-35

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘You shall drink of your sister’s cup, the deep and wide one; You shall be laughed to scorn and held in derision; it contains much... you shall be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of horror and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. You shall drink it and drain it out... Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, therefore you shall bear the penalty of your lewdness and your harlotry.’”

In-depth-analysis

Your sister’s cup: The cup is a potent biblical symbol of divine wrath and judgment. Judah will suffer the same fate as Israel, but her experience of it will be more profound ("deep and wide").
Drink it and drain it out: The judgment will be total and unavoidable. There will be no escaping its devastating effects.
Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back: This is the root cause of all their sin. Their political scheming and idolatry were symptoms of a fundamental betrayal: they deliberately ignored their covenant God who had redeemed and sustained them.
Bear the penalty: The consequence is direct and inescapable. Their suffering is the direct harvest of their actions.

Bible references

Matthew 26:39: 'He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”' (Jesus, on behalf of His people, willingly takes the "cup of horror and desolation" that they deserved).
Isaiah 51:17: 'Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of His fury...' (The same imagery applied to Jerusalem's exile).
Jeremiah 25:15: 'For thus says the Lord God of Israel to me: “Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.”' (The cup of God's wrath as an instrument of universal judgment).

Cross references

Psa 75:8 (cup of wrath); Rev 14:10 (cup of indignation); Deu 32:18 (the Rock who begot you, you have forgotten).

Ezekiel 23:36-49

“Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations. For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire... they have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and profaned My Sabbaths... I will bring up an assembly against them... and they shall stone them with stones and dispatch them with their swords... Thus I will cause lewdness to cease from the land... And you shall know that I am the Lord God.”

In-depth-analysis

Adultery, and blood is on their hands: The prophet summarizes the legal charges. The "harlotry" wasn't just abstract spiritual infidelity; it was paired with the literal, heinous crime of child sacrifice to Molech.
Defiled My sanctuary on the same day: This highlights their extreme hypocrisy. They participated in detestable pagan rites and then immediately entered God’s Temple, pretending to be faithful worshipers, a direct violation of God's holiness.
Stone them with stones: The punishment prescribed in the Mosaic Law for adultery (Deut 22:23-24) is here applied on a national scale, to be executed by the invading Babylonian army ("the assembly").
You shall know that I am the Lord God: The ultimate purpose of this horrific judgment is not merely punitive but revelatory. Through it, Israel, and the watching nations, will recognize the sovereign power, righteousness, and holiness of Yahweh.

Bible references

Jeremiah 7:9-11: 'Will you steal, murder, commit adultery... and walk after other gods... and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’?' (Jeremiah's "Temple Sermon," condemning the exact same hypocrisy).
2 Kings 21:6: 'Also he [Manasseh] made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.' (Describes the specific abominations of Judah mentioned here).

Cross references

Lev 18:21 (child sacrifice forbidden); Deu 12:31 (abominations); Isa 1:12-15 (vain offerings and assemblies); Ezek 6:7 (goal of judgment is knowing God).

Ezekiel chapter 23 analysis

Political Folly is Spiritual Adultery: Ezekiel makes no distinction between foreign policy and religious faithfulness. For a nation in covenant with Yahweh, trusting in a foreign military power for security is an act of spiritual adultery, as it forsakes trust in the divine Husband and Protector.
The Shock Value of Pornographic Prophecy: The chapter's graphic, sexual language is a deliberate rhetorical strategy. It is "shock theology" intended to break through the people's spiritual apathy and force them to see their "respectable" political alliances from God's perspective: as vulgar, degrading, and disgusting acts of prostitution.
Responsibility and Privilege: Oholibah (Jerusalem) is judged more harshly than Oholah (Samaria) precisely because of her greater privilege—the presence of God's Temple ("My Tent is in Her"). She saw her sister's punishment for the same sins yet plunged into them even more deeply.
The Danger of Forgetting God: The core sin that underpins all the specific acts of harlotry is identified in verse 35: "you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back." The entire disaster of exile is traced back to a foundational failure to remember and remain loyal to their Redeemer.

Ezekiel 23 summary

Ezekiel 23 uses the extended allegory of two adulterous sisters, Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem), to condemn the political and religious infidelity of Israel and Judah. Their history, starting from idolatry in Egypt, is depicted as a path of harlotry, seeking security from foreign powers like Assyria and Babylon rather than God. Because Jerusalem (Oholibah) failed to learn from the destruction of her sister, Samaria, she will face a more severe judgment. God will use her former lovers—the Babylonians—as the instruments of her destruction, making her drink the same "cup of wrath" and demonstrating His sovereignty and justice.

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Ezekiel 23 AI Image Audio and Video

Ezekiel chapter 23 kjv

¹ The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
² Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:
³ And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.
⁴ And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.
⁵ And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,
⁶ Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.
⁷ Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself.
⁸ Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.
⁹ Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.
¹⁰ These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her.
¹¹ And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms.
¹² She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men.
¹³ Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way,
¹⁴ And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion,
¹⁵ Girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity:
¹⁶ And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.
¹⁷ And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them.
¹⁸ So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister.
¹⁹ Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.
²⁰ For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.
²¹ Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth.
²² Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side;
²³ The Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them: all of them desirable young men, captains and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses.
²⁴ And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments.
²⁵ And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.
²⁶ They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels.
²⁷ Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom brought from the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more.
²⁸ For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest, into the hand of them from whom thy mind is alienated:
²⁹ And they shall deal with thee hatefully, and shall take away all thy labour, and shall leave thee naked and bare: and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be discovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
³⁰ I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols.
³¹ Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thine hand.
³² Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup deep and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth much.
³³ Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria.
³⁴ Thou shalt even drink it and suck it out, and thou shalt break the sherds thereof, and pluck off thine own breasts: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
³⁵ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
³⁶ The LORD said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations;
³⁷ That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.
³⁸ Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths.
³⁹ For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.
⁴⁰ And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and, lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thyself with ornaments,
⁴¹ And satest upon a stately bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oil.
⁴² And a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness, which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.
⁴³ Then said I unto her that was old in adulteries, Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she with them?
⁴⁴ Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot: so went they in unto Aholah and unto Aholibah, the lewd women.
⁴⁵ And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women that shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.
⁴⁶ For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and spoiled.
⁴⁷ And the company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.
⁴⁸ Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness.
⁴⁹ And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols: and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel chapter 23 nkjv

¹ The word of the LORD came again to me, saying:
² "Son of man, there were two women, The daughters of one mother.
³ They committed harlotry in Egypt, They committed harlotry in their youth; Their breasts were there embraced, Their virgin bosom was there pressed.
⁴ Their names: Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister; They were Mine, And they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.
⁵ "Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine; And she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring Assyrians,
⁶ Who were clothed in purple, Captains and rulers, All of them desirable young men, Horsemen riding on horses.
⁷ Thus she committed her harlotry with them, All of them choice men of Assyria; And with all for whom she lusted, With all their idols, she defiled herself.
⁸ She has never given up her harlotry brought from Egypt, For in her youth they had lain with her, Pressed her virgin bosom, And poured out their immorality upon her.
⁹ "Therefore I have delivered her Into the hand of her lovers, Into the hand of the Assyrians, For whom she lusted.
¹⁰ They uncovered her nakedness, Took away her sons and daughters, And slew her with the sword; She became a byword among women, For they had executed judgment on her.
¹¹ "Now although her sister Oholibah saw this, she became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her harlotry more corrupt than her sister's harlotry.
¹² "She lusted for the neighboring Assyrians, Captains and rulers, Clothed most gorgeously, Horsemen riding on horses, All of them desirable young men.
¹³ Then I saw that she was defiled; Both took the same way.
¹⁴ But she increased her harlotry; She looked at men portrayed on the wall, Images of Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion,
¹⁵ Girded with belts around their waists, Flowing turbans on their heads, All of them looking like captains, In the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, The land of their nativity.
¹⁶ As soon as her eyes saw them, She lusted for them And sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
¹⁷ "Then the Babylonians came to her, into the bed of love, And they defiled her with their immorality; So she was defiled by them, and alienated herself from them.
¹⁸ She revealed her harlotry and uncovered her nakedness. Then I alienated Myself from her, As I had alienated Myself from her sister.
¹⁹ "Yet she multiplied her harlotry In calling to remembrance the days of her youth, When she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.
²⁰ For she lusted for her paramours, Whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys, And whose issue is like the issue of horses.
²¹ Thus you called to remembrance the lewdness of your youth, When the Egyptians pressed your bosom Because of your youthful breasts.
²² "Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord GOD: 'Behold, I will stir up your lovers against you, From whom you have alienated yourself, And I will bring them against you from every side:
²³ The Babylonians, All the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, All the Assyrians with them, All of them desirable young men, Governors and rulers, Captains and men of renown, All of them riding on horses.
²⁴ And they shall come against you With chariots, wagons, and war-horses, With a horde of people. They shall array against you Buckler, shield, and helmet all around. 'I will delegate judgment to them, And they shall judge you according to their judgments.
²⁵ I will set My jealousy against you, And they shall deal furiously with you; They shall remove your nose and your ears, And your remnant shall fall by the sword; They shall take your sons and your daughters, And your remnant shall be devoured by fire.
²⁶ They shall also strip you of your clothes And take away your beautiful jewelry.
²⁷ 'Thus I will make you cease your lewdness and your harlotry Brought from the land of Egypt, So that you will not lift your eyes to them, Nor remember Egypt anymore.'
²⁸ "For thus says the Lord GOD: 'Surely I will deliver you into the hand of those you hate, into the hand of those from whom you alienated yourself.
²⁹ They will deal hatefully with you, take away all you have worked for, and leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotry.
³⁰ I will do these things to you because you have gone as a harlot after the Gentiles, because you have become defiled by their idols.
³¹ You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will put her cup in your hand.'
³² "Thus says the Lord GOD: 'You shall drink of your sister's cup, The deep and wide one; You shall be laughed to scorn And held in derision; It contains much.
³³ You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, The cup of horror and desolation, The cup of your sister Samaria.
³⁴ You shall drink and drain it, You shall break its shards, And tear at your own breasts; For I have spoken,' Says the Lord GOD.
³⁵ "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, Therefore you shall bear the penalty Of your lewdness and your harlotry.' "
³⁶ The LORD also said to me: "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.
³⁷ For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them.
³⁸ Moreover they have done this to Me: They have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and profaned My Sabbaths.
³⁹ For after they had slain their children for their idols, on the same day they came into My sanctuary to profane it; and indeed thus they have done in the midst of My house.
⁴⁰ "Furthermore you sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and there they came. And you washed yourself for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments.
⁴¹ You sat on a stately couch, with a table prepared before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil.
⁴² The sound of a carefree multitude was with her, and Sabeans were brought from the wilderness with men of the common sort, who put bracelets on their wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads.
⁴³ Then I said concerning her who had grown old in adulteries, 'Will they commit harlotry with her now, and she with them?'
⁴⁴ Yet they went in to her, as men go in to a woman who plays the harlot; thus they went in to Oholah and Oholibah, the lewd women.
⁴⁵ But righteous men will judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.
⁴⁶ "For thus says the Lord GOD: 'Bring up an assembly against them, give them up to trouble and plunder.
⁴⁷ The assembly shall stone them with stones and execute them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire.
⁴⁸ Thus I will cause lewdness to cease from the land, that all women may be taught not to practice your lewdness.
⁴⁹ They shall repay you for your lewdness, and you shall pay for your idolatrous sins. Then you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.' "

Ezekiel chapter 23 niv

¹ The word of the LORD came to me:
² "Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.
³ They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.
⁴ The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
⁵ "Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians?warriors
⁶ clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen.
⁷ She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after.
⁸ She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.
⁹ "Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.
¹⁰ They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her.
¹¹ "Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.
¹² She too lusted after the Assyrians?governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men.
¹³ I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.
¹⁴ "But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans portrayed in red,
¹⁵ with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.
¹⁶ As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
¹⁷ Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.
¹⁸ When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.
¹⁹ Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt.
²⁰ There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.
²¹ So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.
²² "Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will stir up your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side?
²³ the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses.
²⁴ They will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment, and they will punish you according to their standards.
²⁵ I will direct my jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters, and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire.
²⁶ They will also strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry.
²⁷ So I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.
²⁸ "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to deliver you into the hands of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust.
²⁹ They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked, and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity
³⁰ have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.
³¹ You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup into your hand.
³² "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "You will drink your sister's cup, a cup large and deep; it will bring scorn and derision, for it holds so much.
³³ You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of ruin and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria.
³⁴ You will drink it and drain it dry and chew on its pieces? and you will tear your breasts. I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.
³⁵ "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution."
³⁶ The LORD said to me: "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable practices,
³⁷ for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them.
³⁸ They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths.
³⁹ On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house.
⁴⁰ "They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup and put on your jewelry.
⁴¹ You sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and olive oil that belonged to me.
⁴² "The noise of a carefree crowd was around her; drunkards were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads.
⁴³ Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, 'Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is.'
⁴⁴ And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah.
⁴⁵ But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood, because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.
⁴⁶ "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Bring a mob against them and give them over to terror and plunder.
⁴⁷ The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.
⁴⁸ "So I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you.
⁴⁹ You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD."

Ezekiel chapter 23 esv

¹ The word of the LORD came to me:
² "Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother.
³ They played the whore in Egypt; they played the whore in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms handled.
⁴ Oholah 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.
⁵ "Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors
⁶ clothed in purple, governors and commanders, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses.
⁷ She 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.
⁸ She 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.
⁹ Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted.
¹⁰ These 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.
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.
¹² She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and commanders, warriors clothed in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men.
¹³ And I saw that she was defiled; they both took the same way.
¹⁴ But she carried her whoring further. She saw men portrayed on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion,
¹⁵ wearing 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.
¹⁶ When she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
¹⁷ And 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.
¹⁸ When 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.
¹⁹ Yet she increased her whoring, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt
²⁰ and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses.
²¹ Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressed your young breasts."
²² Therefore, 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:
²³ the 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.
²⁴ And 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.
²⁵ And 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.
²⁶ They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels.
²⁷ Thus 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.
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,
²⁹ and 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
³⁰ have brought this upon you, because you played the whore with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.
³¹ You have gone the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand.
³² Thus 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;
³³ you will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow. A cup of horror and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria;
³⁴ you shall drink it and drain it out, and gnaw its shards, and tear your breasts; for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD.
³⁵ Therefore 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."
³⁶ The LORD said to me: "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations.
³⁷ For 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.
³⁸ Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths.
³⁹ For 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.
⁴⁰ They 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.
⁴¹ You sat on a stately couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed my incense and my oil.
⁴² The 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.
⁴³ "Then I said of her who was worn out by adultery, 'Now they will continue to use her for a whore, even her!'
⁴⁴ For they have gone in to her, as men go in to a prostitute. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, lewd women!
⁴⁵ But 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."
⁴⁶ For thus says the Lord GOD: "Bring up a vast host against them, and make them an object of terror and a plunder.
⁴⁷ And 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.
⁴⁸ Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not commit lewdness as you have done.
⁴⁹ And 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."

Ezekiel chapter 23 nlt

¹ This message came to me from the LORD:
² "Son of man, once there were two sisters who were daughters of the same mother.
³ They became prostitutes in Egypt. Even as young girls, they allowed men to fondle their breasts.
⁴ The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. I married them, and they bore me sons and daughters. I am speaking of Samaria and Jerusalem, for Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
⁵ "Then Oholah lusted after other lovers instead of me, and she gave her love to the Assyrian officers.
⁶ They were all attractive young men, captains and commanders dressed in handsome blue, charioteers driving their horses.
⁷ And so she prostituted herself with the most desirable men of Assyria, worshiping their idols and defiling herself.
⁸ For when she left Egypt, she did not leave her spirit of prostitution behind. She was still as lewd as in her youth, when the Egyptians slept with her, fondled her breasts, and used her as a prostitute.
⁹ "And so I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers, whom she desired so much.
¹⁰ They stripped her, took away her children as their slaves, and then killed her. After she received her punishment, her reputation was known to every woman in the land.
¹¹ "Yet even though Oholibah saw what had happened to Oholah, her sister, she followed right in her footsteps. And she was even more depraved, abandoning herself to her lust and prostitution.
¹² She fawned over all the Assyrian officers ? those captains and commanders in handsome uniforms, those charioteers driving their horses ? all of them attractive young men.
¹³ I saw the way she was going, defiling herself just like her older sister.
¹⁴ "Then she carried her prostitution even further. She fell in love with pictures that were painted on a wall ? pictures of Babylonian military officers, outfitted in striking red uniforms.
¹⁵ Handsome belts encircled their waists, and flowing turbans crowned their heads. They were dressed like chariot officers from the land of Babylonia.
¹⁶ When she saw these paintings, she longed to give herself to them, so she sent messengers to Babylonia to invite them to come to her.
¹⁷ So they came and committed adultery with her, defiling her in the bed of love. After being defiled, however, she rejected them in disgust.
¹⁸ "In the same way, I became disgusted with Oholibah and rejected her, just as I had rejected her sister, because she flaunted herself before them and gave herself to satisfy their lusts.
¹⁹ Yet she turned to even greater prostitution, remembering her youth when she was a prostitute in Egypt.
²⁰ She lusted after lovers with genitals as large as a donkey's and emissions like those of a horse.
²¹ And so, Oholibah, you relived your former days as a young girl in Egypt, when you first allowed your breasts to be fondled.
²² "Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will send your lovers against you from every direction ? those very nations from which you turned away in disgust.
²³ For the Babylonians will come with all the Chaldeans from Pekod and Shoa and Koa. And all the Assyrians will come with them ? handsome young captains, commanders, chariot officers, and other high-ranking officers, all riding their horses.
²⁴ They will all come against you from the north with chariots, wagons, and a great army prepared for attack. They will take up positions on every side, surrounding you with men armed with shields and helmets. And I will hand you over to them for punishment so they can do with you as they please.
²⁵ I will turn my jealous anger against you, and they will deal harshly with you. They will cut off your nose and ears, and any survivors will then be slaughtered by the sword. Your children will be taken away as captives, and everything that is left will be burned.
²⁶ They will strip you of your beautiful clothes and jewels.
²⁷ In this way, I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you brought from Egypt. You will never again cast longing eyes on those things or fondly remember your time in Egypt.
²⁸ "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will surely hand you over to your enemies, to those you loathe, those you rejected.
²⁹ They will treat you with hatred and rob you of all you own, leaving you stark naked. The shame of your prostitution will be exposed to all the world.
³⁰ You brought all this on yourself by prostituting yourself to other nations, defiling yourself with all their idols.
³¹ Because you have followed in your sister's footsteps, I will force you to drink the same cup of terror she drank.
³² "Yes, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "You will drink from your sister's cup of terror,
a cup that is large and deep.
It is filled to the brim
with scorn and derision.
³³ Drunkenness and anguish will fill you,
for your cup is filled to the brim with distress and desolation,
the same cup your sister Samaria drank.
³⁴ You will drain that cup of terror
to the very bottom.
Then you will smash it to pieces
and beat your breast in anguish.
I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!
³⁵ "And because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: You must bear the consequences of all your lewdness and prostitution."
³⁶ The LORD said to me, "Son of man, you must accuse Oholah and Oholibah of all their detestable sins.
³⁷ They have committed both adultery and murder ? adultery by worshiping idols and murder by burning as sacrifices the children they bore to me.
³⁸ Furthermore, they have defiled my Temple and violated my Sabbath day!
³⁹ On the very day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they boldly came into my Temple to worship! They came in and defiled my house.
⁴⁰ "You sisters sent messengers to distant lands to get men. Then when they arrived, you bathed yourselves, painted your eyelids, and put on your finest jewels for them.
⁴¹ You sat with them on a beautifully embroidered couch and put my incense and my special oil on a table that was spread before you.
⁴² From your room came the sound of many men carousing. They were lustful men and drunkards from the wilderness, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your heads.
⁴³ Then I said, 'If they really want to have sex with old worn-out prostitutes like these, let them!'
⁴⁴ And that is what they did. They had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, these shameless prostitutes.
⁴⁵ But righteous people will judge these sister cities for what they really are ? adulterers and murderers.
⁴⁶ "Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Bring an army against them and hand them over to be terrorized and plundered.
⁴⁷ For their enemies will stone them and kill them with swords. They will butcher their sons and daughters and burn their homes.
⁴⁸ In this way, I will put an end to lewdness and idolatry in the land, and my judgment will be a warning to all women not to follow your wicked example.
⁴⁹ You will be fully repaid for all your prostitution ? your worship of idols. Yes, you will suffer the full penalty. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD."