Chapter 23

The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,²

Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:

And they committed whoredoms⁴ in Egypt; they committed whoredoms¹ in their youth: there were their breasts pressed,²⁷ and there they bruised¹⁴ the teats of their virginity.

And the names of them [were] Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare⁴ sons and daughters. Thus [were] their names; Samaria [is] Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.

And Aholah played the harlot⁴ when she was mine; and she doted⁴ on her lovers,¹⁸ on the Assyrians [her] neighbours,

[Which were] clothed⁷ with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding⁶ upon horses.

Thus she committed⁴ her whoredoms with them, with all them [that were] the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted:¹ with all their idols she defiled⁸ herself.

Neither left¹ she her whoredoms [brought] from Egypt: for in her youth they lay¹ with her, and they bruised¹⁴ the breasts of her virginity, and poured⁴ their whoredom upon her.

Wherefore I have delivered¹ her into the hand of her lovers,¹⁸ into the hand of the Assyrians, ⁸⁰⁴ upon whom she doted.¹

These discovered¹⁴ her nakedness: they took¹ her sons and her daughters, and slew¹ her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed¹ judgment upon her.

And when her sister Aholibah saw⁴ [this], she was more corrupt⁵⁵ in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in [her] whoredoms.

She doted¹ upon the Assyrians ⁸⁰⁴ [her] neighbours, captains and rulers clothed⁷ most gorgeously, horsemen riding⁶ upon horses, all of them desirable young men.

Then I saw⁴ that she was defiled,⁸ [that] they [took] both one way,

And [that] she increased⁵⁵ her whoredoms: for when she saw⁴ men pourtrayed³⁰ upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed⁷ with vermilion,

Girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding⁷ in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians ⁸⁹⁴ of Chaldea, the land of their nativity:

And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted⁴ upon them, and sent⁴ messengers unto them into Chaldea.

And the Babylonians ⁸⁹⁴ came⁴ to her into the bed of love, and they defiled¹⁷ her with their whoredom, and she was polluted⁴ with them, and her mind was alienated⁴ from them.

So she discovered¹⁷ her whoredoms, and discovered¹⁷ her nakedness: then my mind was alienated⁴ from her, like as my mind was alienated¹ from her sister.

Yet she multiplied⁵⁵ her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance² the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot¹ in the land of Egypt.

For she doted⁴ upon their paramours, whose flesh [is as] the flesh of asses, and whose issue [is like] the issue of horses.

Thus thou calledst to remembrance⁴ the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising² thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth.

Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; Behold, I will raise up⁵⁶ thy lovers¹⁸ against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated,¹ and I will bring⁵² them against thee on every side;

The Babylonians, ⁸⁹⁴ and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, [and] all the Assyrians ⁸⁰⁴ with them: all of them desirable young men, captains and rulers, great lords and renowned,⁷ all of them riding⁶ upon horses.

And they shall come¹ against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, [which] shall set⁴ against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will set¹ judgment before them, and they shall judge¹ thee according to their judgments.

And I will set¹ my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal¹ furiously with thee: they shall take away⁵⁵ thy nose and thine ears; and thy remnant shall fall⁴ by the sword: they shall take⁴ thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured¹¹ by the fire.

They shall also strip⁵² thee out of thy clothes, and take away¹ thy fair jewels.

Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease⁵² from thee, and thy whoredom [brought] from the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift up⁴ thine eyes unto them, nor remember⁴ Egypt any more.

For thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; Behold, I will deliver⁶ thee into the hand [of them] whom thou hatest,¹ into the hand [of them] from whom thy mind is alienated:¹

And they shall deal¹ with thee hatefully, and shall take away¹ all thy labour, and shall leave¹ thee naked and bare: and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be discovered,⁸ both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.

I will do² these [things] unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring² after the heathen, [and] because thou art polluted⁸ with their idols.

Thou hast walked¹ in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give¹ her cup into thine hand.

Thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; Thou shalt drink⁴ of thy sister's cup deep and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth⁵³ much.

Thou shalt be filled¹¹ with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria.

Thou shalt even drink¹ it and suck [it] out,¹ and thou shalt break¹⁷ the sherds thereof, and pluck off¹⁷ thine own breasts: for I have spoken¹⁴ [it], saith⁷ the Lord GOD.

Therefore thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; Because thou hast forgotten¹ me, and cast⁵⁵ me behind thy back, therefore bear³ thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.

The LORD said⁴ moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge⁴ Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare⁵⁴ unto them their abominations;

That they have committed adultery,¹⁴ and blood [is] in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery,¹⁴ and have also caused their sons, whom they bare¹ unto me, to pass for them through⁵² [the fire], to devour [them].

Moreover this they have done¹ unto me: they have defiled¹⁴ my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned¹⁴ my sabbaths.

For when they had slain² their children to their idols, then they came⁴ the same day into my sanctuary to profane¹⁵ it; and, lo, thus have they done¹ in the midst of mine house.

And furthermore, that ye have sent⁴ for men to come⁶ from far, unto whom a messenger [was] sent;⁷ and, lo, they came:¹ for whom thou didst wash¹ thyself, paintedst¹ thy eyes, and deckedst¹ thyself with ornaments,

And satest¹ upon a stately bed, and a table prepared⁷ before it, whereupon thou hast set¹ mine incense and mine oil.

And a voice of a multitude being at ease [was] with her: and with the men of the common sort [were] brought⁹⁴ Sabeans ^{5433 6} from the wilderness, which put⁴ bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.

Then said⁴ I unto [her that was] old in adulteries, Will they now commit⁴ whoredoms with her, and she [with them]?

Yet they went in⁴ unto her, as they go in² unto a woman that playeth the harlot:⁶ so went they in¹ unto Aholah and unto Aholibah, the lewd women.

And the righteous men, they shall judge⁴ them after the manner of adulteresses,⁶ and after the manner of women that shed⁶ blood; because they [are] adulteresses,⁶ and blood [is] in their hands.

For thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; I will bring up⁵³ a company upon them, and will give² them to be removed and spoiled.

And the company shall stone¹ them with stones, and dispatch¹⁵ them with their swords; they shall slay⁴ their sons and their daughters, and burn up⁴ their houses with fire.

Thus will I cause lewdness to cease⁵² out of the land, that all women may be taught¹³ not to do⁴ after your lewdness.

And they shall recompense¹ your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear⁴ the sins of your idols: and ye shall know¹ that I [am] the Lord GOD.