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Ezekiel 23; Ezekiel 24

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Ezekiel 23

1 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,
2 "Son of man, there were once two women, daughters of the same mother.
3 They became prostitutes in Egypt when they were young. There men fondled and caressed their breasts.
4 "The older girl was named Oholah, and the younger girl was named Oholibah. I married them, and they gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah represents Samaria, and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.
5 Oholah acted like a prostitute, although she was my wife. She lusted after her Assyrian lovers who lived nearby.
6 They were governors and commanders clothed in purple. They were all handsome young men who rode on horses.
7 She became a prostitute for all the important men in Assyria. She dishonored herself with the idols of all those with whom she fell in love.
8 She continued the prostitution that she started in Egypt. When she was young, men went to bed with her, caressed her breasts, and treated her like a prostitute.
9 "That is why I handed her over to her lovers, to the Assyrians whom she lusted after.
10 They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters, and killed her with a sword. Women gossiped about how she was punished.
11 "Even though her younger sister Oholibah saw this, Oholibah lusted after men more than her sister did. Oholibah's prostitution became worse than her sister's prostitution.
12 She lusted after the Assyrians who were nearby. They were governors and commanders in full dress. They were mounted horsemen, all of them desirable young men.
13 I saw that she was dishonoring herself. Both sisters acted the same way.
14 Yet, she carried her prostitution even further. She saw pictures of men carved on walls. They were figures of Babylonian men, painted in bright red.
15 The men had belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads. All of them looked like Babylonian officers who were born in Babylon.
16 She fell in love with them at first sight and sent messengers to them in Babylonia.
17 So these men came from Babylon, went to bed with her, and dishonored her with their lust. After they had dishonored her, she turned away from them in disgust.
18 "She carried out her prostitution openly, and she lay around naked. I turned away from her in disgust as I had turned away from her sister.
19 She remembered how she had been a prostitute in Egypt when she was young. So she took part in even more prostitution.
20 She lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose semen was like that of horses.
21 So she longed to do the sinful things she did when she was young in Egypt, when young men caressed and fondled her breasts.
22 "Oholibah, this is what the Almighty LORD says: I'm going to stir up your lovers against you. They are the lovers you turned away from in disgust. I will bring them against you from every side.
23 I will bring men from Babylon and from all Babylonia, men from Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, as well as all the Assyrians. They are desirable young men, governors and commanders, military officers and important men. All of them ride on horses.
24 They will attack you from the north, with chariots and wagons and with a large number of troops. They will attack you from all around with small and large shields and with helmets. I have handed you over to them for punishment. They will punish you with their own kind of punishment.
25 I will direct my burning anger against you so that they will deal with you in anger. They will cut off your nose and ears and kill everyone who remains. They will take your sons and your daughters and burn down whatever is left.
26 They will rip off your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels.
27 I will put a stop to your sinning and to your prostitution, which you began in Egypt. You won't desire these things anymore or remember Egypt anymore.
28 "This is what the Almighty LORD says: I'm going to hand you over to those you hate and to those you turned away from in disgust.
29 They will treat you hatefully and take away everything that you have worked for. They will leave you naked and bare. The shame of your prostitution will be revealed.
30 Your sinning and your prostitution have done this to you, because you lusted after the nations and dishonored yourself with their idols.
31 You've acted the same way as your sister. That is why I will put her cup in your hand.
32 This is what the Almighty LORD says: You will drink from your sister's cup, a cup that is deep and wide. You will be scorned and mocked, because this cup holds so much.
33 The cup of your sister Samaria will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow.
34 You will drink from it and drain it. You will break it into pieces and tear your breasts off your body. I have spoken, declares the Almighty LORD.
35 "This is what the Almighty LORD says: You have forgotten me and turned your back on me. So you will be punished for your sinning and prostitution."
36 The LORD said to me, "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah and tell them about their disgusting practices?
37 They have committed adultery. Their hands are covered with blood. They commit adultery with their idols. They have sacrificed the children they gave birth to for me as burnt offerings to idols.
38 They have also done this to me: They have polluted my holy places when they do these things and dishonored the days to worship me.
39 When they sacrificed their children to their idols, they came into my holy place and dishonored it. That is what they've done in my temple.
40 "They even sent messengers to invite men to come from far away. When the men arrived, they washed themselves for the men, painted their eyes, and put on their jewels.
41 They sat on their fine couches with tables in front of them. They put my incense and my olive oil on their tables.
42 "I heard the noise from a carefree crowd. A large number of people came from the desert, and they put bracelets on the women's wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads.
43 Then I said, 'She is worn out from her acts of adultery.' Yet, men continued to have sex with her.
44 Men slept with her. They slept with those sinful women, Oholah and Oholibah just as they slept with a prostitute.
45 Righteous people will punish these women for adultery and for murder, because these women have committed adultery and their hands are covered with blood.
46 "This is what the Almighty LORD says: Bring together a mob [against the people of Samaria and Jerusalem]. Hand them over to terror and looting.
47 Then the mob will stone them and kill them with swords. The mob will kill their sons and daughters and burn their homes.
48 So I will put a stop to the sinning in the land, and all the women will be warned not to sin as they do.
49 They will be punished for their sins, and they will pay for their sin of idolatry. Then they will know that I am the Almighty LORD."
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Ezekiel 24

1 On the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year, the LORD spoke his word to me. He said,
2 "Son of man, write down today's date. The king of Babylon has surrounded Jerusalem this very day.
3 Tell these rebellious people a story. Tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: Put the pot on the fire; put it on. Pour water in it.
4 Cut the meat into pieces, all the best pieces, the thigh and shoulder. Fill the pot with the meatiest bones
5 selected from the best sheep. Pile wood under the pot. Bring the mixture in the pot to a boil. Cook the bones that are in it well.
6 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: How horrible it will be for that city of murderers, for that tarnished pot. Its tarnish will not come off. Empty the meat out of it piece by piece without choosing any particular piece.
7 Blood is still in that city. The blood was poured on a bare rock. It wasn't poured on the ground where dust would cover it.
8 In order to stir up my fury so that I would pay that city back, I put the blood of its victims on a bare rock. Now that blood can't be covered.
9 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: How horrible it will be for that city of murderers. I, too, will pile the wood high.
10 Pile it high, and light the fire. Cook the meat thoroughly, stir the mixture, and let the bones burn.
11 Then set the empty pot on the coals so that it gets hot and its copper glows. Its impurities will melt away, and its tarnish will burn off.
12 "'I have worn myself out trying to clean this pot. Even the fire can't take away its thick tarnish.
13 I tried to clean you of your filthy lust, but you wouldn't clean yourself from your filth. You will never be clean until I unleash my fury on you.
14 I, the LORD, have spoken. It will happen, and I will do it. I will not ignore you, pity you, or change my plans. I will punish you because of the way you lived and because of everything you have done,'" declares the Almighty LORD.
15 Then the LORD spoke his word to me. He said,
16 "Son of man, with one blow I'm going to take away from you the person you love the most. But you must not mourn, cry, or let tears run down your face.
17 Groan silently. Don't grieve for the person who dies. Tie on your turban, and put on your sandals. Don't cover your face or eat the food that mourners eat."
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I was ordered.
19 The people asked me, "Tell us, what do these things that you are doing mean to us?"
20 I told them, "The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,
21 'Tell the nation of Israel, "This is what the Almighty LORD says: I'm going to dishonor my holy place. You brag that my holy place gives you strength. It's the thing you love the most. It's your hearts' desire. So the sons and daughters that you left behind will die in battle.
22 Then you must do as I did. Don't cover your faces or eat the food that mourners eat.
23 Leave your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. Don't grieve or cry! You will waste away because of your guilt and groan to one another.
24 Ezekiel is a sign to you. You will do everything he has done. Then you will know that I am the Almighty LORD."'
25 "Son of man, on that day I will take their stronghold away from them. It makes them happy and proud. It is their hearts' desire and the thing they love the most. I will also take away their sons and daughters.
26 On that day a refugee will come to you to tell you the news.
27 On that very day your mouth will be opened, and you will talk to the refugee. You will speak and not be silent anymore. You will be a sign to them. Then they will know that I am the LORD."
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.