Ezekiel

The Two Sisters

The word of the Lord God came to me:

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

They became prostitutes in Egypt, even from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and caressed.

The elder was called Oholah, and her sister Oholibah. Both of them were mine, and they gave me sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

Oholah was mine when she played the harlot; she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—

warriors dressed in purple, governors, commanders,and desirable young men riding horses. She offered her harlotry to the best of Assyria.

She dishonored herself with all those she lusted after and with their idols.

But she did not forget her harlotry with the Egyptians, who had lain with her and poured their lust on her from her youth.

That is why I gave her over to her lovers, the Assyrians—objects of her lustful desires.

They uncovered her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and killed her. She became a byword among women because punishment had come to her.

Her sister, Oholibah, saw this, but she was even more corrupt in her lust and worse than her sisterin her prostitution.

She lusted after the Assyrians, governors, commanders, horsemen, all desirable young men,

and I saw how she dishonored herself.Both sisters behaved similarly,but she went further than her sister.

No sooner had she seen men depicted on walls, pictures of Chaldeans sketched in vermilion, than she longed for these men,

tightly belted, with heads topheavy with turbans, all resembling Babylonian cavalry officers.

She sent messengers to Chaldea;

and they came to her in the bed of love, and defiled her with their prostitution. They dishonored her so greatly that she turned away from them in disgust.

But because she had exposed herself and revealed her nakedness,I, too, turned away from her in disgust, just as I had done with her sister.

She intensified her disobedience, recalling her youth when she was unfaithful to Egypt.

She lusted after her lovers, whose bodies resembledthose of donkeys, and whose organs looked like those of horses.

She returned to the shameful conduct of her youth with the Egyptians.

That is why, Oholibah, thus says the Lord: I am sending against you your lovers, from whom you have turned away in disgust; and I will bring them against you from all sides,

Babylonians and Chaldeans, men of Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, along with all the Assyrians; handsome young men, governors, commanders, cavalry officers, and titled individuals—all riding horses.

They will come against you with chariots, wagons, and crowds of people, who will attack you from all sides with bucklers, shields, and helmets.

I will present your case to them, and they will judge you according to their laws. I will reveal my jealousy against you so that they will deal with you fiercely. They will cut off your nose and ears, and what remains of you will fall by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters, and what is left of you will be consumed by fire;

they will strip you of your clothes and jewelry.

I will put an end to your shameful behavior and your harlotry, which began in Egypt; you will not look to them again and will no longer dream of Egypt.

Thus says the Lord God: I am handing you over to those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust.

They will treat you with loathing, take everything you have worked for, and leave you naked and exposed; and the shame of your harlotry will be revealed.

Your shameful conduct and promiscuity have brought this on you because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.

Since you have followed your sister’s path, I will place her cup in your hand.

Thus says the Lord: You will drink your sister’s cup, which is deep and wide. You will become the subject of ridicule and mockery: the cup is so full!

You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow; it is a cup of desolation and terror, the cup of Samaria, your sister!

You will drink and empty it to the dregs, and then tear out your breasts—for I have spoken, word of the Lord God.”

That is why the Lord God says: “Since you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, you too will pay for your immodesty and harlotry!”

Then the Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Confront them with their abominations,

for they have committed adultery and stained their hands with blood. They committed adultery with their idols and even sacrificed their children—my children—as food for them.

At that time, they defiled my Sanctuary and profaned my Sabbaths;

the same day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my Sanctuary to desecrate it. This is what they did in my house.

Both of them sent messages to men who had come from afar; and they arrived. You bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes, and decked yourself with jewels.

You seated yourself on a grand couch next to a table, on which you placed incense and oil that was mine.

The sound of a carefree crowd was heard there, thanks to their number, not to mention the people brought in from the desert. They put bracelets on the wrists of the women and splendid crowns on their heads.

Then I said about this city, worn out and defiled with her adultery: This is indeed harlotry!

Men go to her as one goes to a prostitute. So they went to Oholah and Oholibah, the dissolute women!

But upright men will consider as adulterous those who have shed blood, for, indeed, they are adulteresses; and blood is on their hands.”

For thus says the Lord: “Let a great assembly be gathered against them! Let them be given over to terror and destruction!

The assembly will stone them, cut them to pieces with the sword, kill their sons and daughters, and burn their houses.”

I will put an end to debauchery in this land; all the women will be warned, and they will no longer imitate your immorality.

I will cause your immorality to fall back on you; and when you face the punishment of your idolatry, you will know that I am the Lord.