Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed 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, but not on the basis of my covenant with you. New Living Translation Then you will remember with shame all the evil you have done. I will make your sisters, Samaria and Sodom, to be your daughters, even though they are not part of our covenant. English Standard Version Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you. Berean Standard Bible Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of My covenant with you. Berean Literal Bible And you will remember your ways, and you will be ashamed, in your taking your sisters, those older than you to those younger than you, when I give them to you as daughters, and not by your covenant. King James Bible Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. New King James Version Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed, when you receive your older and your younger sisters; for I will give them to you for daughters, but not because of My covenant with you. New American Standard Bible Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both your older and your younger; and I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. NASB 1995 “Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both your older and your younger; and I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. NASB 1977 “Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both your older and your younger; and I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. Legacy Standard Bible Then you will remember your ways and feel dishonor when you receive your sisters, both your older and your younger; and I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. Amplified Bible Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both your older and your younger; I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant [with Me]. Berean Annotated Bible Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of My covenant with you. Christian Standard Bible Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. Holman Christian Standard Bible Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. American Standard Version Then shalt thou remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder sisters and thy younger; and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. Contemporary English Version When you think about how you acted, you will be ashamed, especially when I return your sisters to you as daughters, even though this was not part of our agreement. English Revised Version Then shalt thou remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder sisters and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. GOD'S WORD® Translation Then you will remember what you have done. You will be ashamed when I return your older and younger sisters to you. I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of my promise with you. Good News Translation You will remember how you have acted, and be ashamed of it when you get your older sister and your younger sister back. I will let them be like daughters to you, even though this was not part of my covenant with you. International Standard Version Then you'll remember your behavior and be ashamed when you greet your sisters—your elder sister and your younger sister. I'll give them to you as daughters, but not on account of my covenant with you. NET Bible Then you will remember your conduct, and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not on account of my covenant with you. New Heart English Bible Then you shall remember your ways, and be ashamed, when you receive your older and your younger sisters; and I will give them to you as daughters, but not by your covenant. Webster's Bible Translation Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thy elder and thy younger: and I will give them to thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThen you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of My covenant with you. World English Bible Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, your elder sisters and your younger; and I will give them to you for daughters, but not by your covenant. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd you have remembered your ways, "" And you have been ashamed, "" In your receiving your sisters—Your older with your younger, "" And I have given them to you for daughters, "" And not by your covenant. Berean Literal Bible And you will remember your ways, and you will be ashamed, in your taking your sisters, those older than you to those younger than you, when I give them to you as daughters, and not by your covenant. Young's Literal Translation And thou hast remembered thy ways, And thou hast been ashamed, In thy receiving thy sisters -- Thine elder with thy younger, And I have given them to thee for daughters, And not by thy covenant. Smith's Literal Translation And thou didst remember thy ways, and thou wert ashamed in thy receiving thy sisters great above thee, to the younger than thee: and I gave them to thee for daughters, and not from thy covenant. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed: when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thy elder and thy younger: and I will give them to thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. Catholic Public Domain Version And you shall remember your ways and be confounded, when you will have received your sisters, your elder with your younger. And I will give them to you as daughters, but not by your covenant. New American Bible Then you shall remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, those older and younger than you; I give them to you as daughters, but not by reason of your covenant. New Revised Standard Version Then you will remember your ways, and be ashamed when I take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and give them to you as daughters, but not on account of my covenant with you. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThen you shall remember your evil ways and be ashamed, when I take your sisters, the elder and the younger, and give them to you for daughters, but not because of your covenant. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And you shall remember your ways and you shall be ashamed that I took your sisters, the elder and the younger, and I gave them to you as daughters, not from your covenant OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Then shalt thou remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder sisters and thy younger; and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not because of thy covenant. Brenton Septuagint Translation Then thou shalt remember thy way, and shalt be utterly dishonoured when thou receivest thine elder sisters with thy younger ones: and I will give them to thee for building up, but not by thy covenant. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Covenant Remembered…60But I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. 61Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of My covenant with you. 62So I will establish My covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD,… Cross References Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed Ezekiel 36:31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and abominations. Ezekiel 20:43 There you will remember your ways and all the deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evils you have done. Jeremiah 31:19 After I returned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’ when you receive your older and younger sisters. Genesis 29:16-17 Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. / Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. Jeremiah 3:8 She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well. Jeremiah 3:10 Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD. I will give them to you as daughters, Isaiah 49:22-23 This is what the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and raise My banner to the peoples. They will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders. / Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.” Isaiah 60:4 Lift up your eyes and look around: They all gather and come to you; your sons will come from afar, and your daughters will be carried on the arm. 2 Corinthians 6:18 And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” but not because of My covenant with you. Leviticus 26:42-45 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. / For the land will be abandoned by them, and it will enjoy its Sabbaths by lying desolate without them. And they will pay the penalty for their iniquity, because they rejected My ordinances and abhorred My statutes. / Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject or despise them so as to destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. … Psalm 106:45 And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion. Deuteronomy 4:31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers, which He swore to them by oath. Jeremiah 31:31-34 Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. / It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. / “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. … Isaiah 54:4-8 Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame; do not be intimidated, for you will not be humiliated. For you will forget the shame of your youth and will remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. / For your husband is your Maker—the LORD of Hosts is His name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth. / For the LORD has called you back, like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit, like the rejected wife of one’s youth,” says your God. … Hosea 2:19-20 So I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in loving devotion and compassion. / And I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will know the LORD.” Jeremiah 3:14 “Return, O faithless children,” declares the LORD, “for I am your master, and I will take you—one from a city and two from a family—and bring you to Zion. Treasury of Scripture Then you shall remember your ways, and be ashamed, when you shall receive your sisters, your elder and your younger: and I will give them to you for daughters, but not by your covenant. remember Ezekiel 16:63 That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 20:43 And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. Ezekiel 36:31,32 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations… when Ezekiel 16:53-55 When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them: … Song of Solomon 8:8,9 We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? … Isaiah 2:2-5 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it… I will Isaiah 49:18-23 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth… Isaiah 54:1,2 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD… Isaiah 60:4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. but not Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. Hebrews 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. Jump to Previous Account Agreement Ashamed Basis Confounded Covenant Daughters Elder Memory Older Overcome Receive Remember Shame Sisters Together Ways YoungerJump to Next Account Agreement Ashamed Basis Confounded Covenant Daughters Elder Memory Older Overcome Receive Remember Shame Sisters Together Ways YoungerEzekiel 16 1. Under the parable of a wretched infant is shown the natural state of Jerusalem6. God's extraordinary love toward her, 15. Her grievous judgment 35. Her sin, equal to her mother, 46. and exceeding her sisters, Sodom and Samaria, 59. calls for judgments 60. Mercy is promised her in the end Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed This phrase highlights the theme of repentance and self-awareness. In the context of Ezekiel, Israel is called to remember its past sins and idolatry, which led to their exile. The act of remembering is not merely cognitive but involves a deep emotional response, leading to shame and repentance. This is consistent with the prophetic tradition where recalling past transgressions is a step towards restoration (e.g., Jeremiah 31:19). The shame mentioned here is not meant to condemn but to bring about a transformation and return to God. when you receive your older and younger sisters I will give them to you as daughters but not because of My covenant with you Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA prophet during the Babylonian exile, tasked with delivering God's messages to the Israelites. 2. Jerusalem The city symbolically represented as an unfaithful wife in this chapter, highlighting Israel's spiritual adultery. 3. Older and Younger Sisters Symbolic references to Samaria and Sodom, representing nations that Israel surpassed in sinfulness. 4. God's Covenant The divine agreement between God and Israel, which Israel repeatedly broke through idolatry and disobedience. 5. Shame and Remembrance The emotional and spiritual response God desires from Israel as they reflect on their past actions. Teaching Points Remembrance and RepentanceReflecting on past sins should lead to genuine repentance and a renewed commitment to God. God's Grace and Restoration Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God promises restoration, highlighting His grace and mercy. Inclusion of the Nations The mention of "older and younger sisters" signifies God's plan to include all nations in His redemptive work. Covenant Faithfulness God's faithfulness to His covenant serves as a model for believers to remain faithful in their relationship with Him. Shame Leading to Transformation Feeling ashamed of past sins can be a catalyst for spiritual growth and transformation. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Ezekiel 16:61?2. How does Ezekiel 16:61 illustrate God's covenant faithfulness despite Israel's unfaithfulness? 3. What role does "remember your ways" play in repentance and restoration? 4. How can Ezekiel 16:61 inspire us to honor our commitments to God? 5. What scriptural connections exist between Ezekiel 16:61 and God's promises in the New Testament? 6. How can we apply the lessons of Ezekiel 16:61 in our daily lives? 7. How does Ezekiel 16:61 reflect God's covenant with Israel despite their unfaithfulness? 8. What is the significance of remembering the covenant in Ezekiel 16:61? 9. How does Ezekiel 16:61 illustrate God's grace and forgiveness? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Ezekiel 16? 11. How does Ezekiel 16:46-48 align with historical records that do not portray Sodom or Samaria as more righteous than Jerusalem? 12. Why does Ezekiel 23:4 personify Samaria and Jerusalem as immoral sisters, and is there historical or archeological evidence to support these specific accusations? 13. How does Hosea 1:6-9 align with a just God punishing children for their parents' actions, contrary to Deuteronomy 24:16? 14. If God is just, why does He threaten severe punishment in Ezekiel 16:37-41, yet allow similar injustices elsewhere in the Bible to go unpunished? What Does Ezekiel 16:61 Mean Remembering Your WaysThe Lord says, “Then you will remember your ways” (Ezekiel 16:61). • Memory here is not casual recollection—it is Spirit-prompted conviction, like Israel’s future remembering in Ezekiel 20:43 and 36:31. • Jerusalem will look back on her idolatry (v. 15-34) and unfaithfulness, recognizing how far she drifted from the covenant love first shown in Exodus 19:4-6. • This remembering is essential; God often brings His people to repentance by reminding them of former sin (cf. Revelation 2:5). And Be Ashamed “You will…be ashamed.” • Shame is the appropriate response when sin is exposed before a holy God (Isaiah 6:5; Romans 6:21). • The shame here is restorative, not destructive. As in Jeremiah 31:19, it produces humility and openness to grace. • God’s discipline leads to a godly sorrow that “produces repentance leading to salvation without regret” (2 Corinthians 7:10). When You Receive Your Older and Younger Sisters “…when you receive your older and younger sisters.” • Earlier, God named Jerusalem’s “older sister” Samaria and “younger sister” Sodom (Ezekiel 16:46-48). • In the future restoration, these once-judged cities—representing both apostate Israel and notoriously wicked nations—will be joined to Jerusalem. • Isaiah 19:24-25 foreshadows a day when historically hostile peoples stand together under the Lord’s blessing, illustrating His far-reaching mercy. I Will Give Them to You as Daughters “I will give them to you as daughters.” • A daughter sits under the care and protection of her mother. Jerusalem, cleansed and restored, will become a nurturing center for other peoples (Isaiah 60:3-4). • The imagery points ahead to the millennial kingdom, when the nations come to Zion for instruction (Micah 4:1-2). • What once was a city of scandal becomes a city of blessing—clear evidence of God’s redemptive power (Hosea 2:14-23). But Not Because of My Covenant with You “…but not because of My covenant with you.” • God had already announced, “I will remember the covenant I made with you… and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you” (Ezekiel 16:60). • Yet the inclusion of these “sisters” is not grounded in Jerusalem’s earlier Mosaic covenant obligations; it rests solely on God’s unilateral promise of grace—the New Covenant foretold in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and ratified by Christ (Luke 22:20). • Grace, not merit, brings outsiders in (Romans 11:5-6). Israel’s restored role will be a testimony that salvation is “not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Summary Ezekiel 16:61 looks past judgment to a future in which Jerusalem remembers her sin, feels appropriate shame, and yet is honored as the mother city for formerly estranged peoples. This honor does not arise from her old covenant performance but from God’s unwavering, grace-filled commitment to His own everlasting covenant plan. The verse assures us that when God restores, He does so completely—turning disgrace into influence, scattering mercy beyond Israel to the nations, and displaying that every good thing comes from His gracious promise, not from human worthiness. (61) Give them unto thee for daughters.--The humiliation of Jerusalem must be so complete that she will gladly receive these once-despised enemies to the closest family relationship. We are not here to think of Sodom specifically, but (the concrete passing into the general) of that which Sodom represented, the heathen world at large. This shall be received with Jerusalem to the church of God; "but not by thy covenant." The covenant with Israel, however it may have been preceded by a "preaching of the Gospel" to Abraham (Galatians 3:8), was distinctly a covenant of works, under which neither Jew nor Gentile could attain salvation (see Rom. and Gal. throughout). Not, therefore, by this should the nations of the earth be given to Jerusalem as representing the Church.Verse 61. - Then thou shalt remember thy ways, etc. The pardon which God gives is not, as men sometimes dream, a water of Lethe, blotting out the memory of the evil past. Ezekiel represents that memory as quickened to a new intensity in the very hour of restoration. The shame which it brings with it is necessary as the safeguard of the new blessedness. Thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger. It is significant that, as in the Revised Version, both the adjectives are now in the plural. What was possible for Sodom and Samaria was possible also, as for the cities more immediately connected with them, so also for other nations of the heathen world. They to should be admitted into fellowship, not now as alters, but as daughters, acknowledging, i.e., her superiority. The limitation which follows, not by thy covenant, asserts, as it were, the restored prerogative of Judah, much as St. Paul asserts it in Romans 9-11. Those who are within the covenant of Israel, including, as it does, those who are the heirs of the faith of Abraham as well as his children according to the flesh, are in a closer relation to him than others who share in what have been called (the phrase, perhaps, taking its origin from these very words) the "uncovenanted mercies" of God.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Then you will rememberוְזָכַ֣רְתְּ (wə·zā·ḵart) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person feminine singular Strong's 2142: To mark, to remember, to mention, to be male your ways דְּרָכַיִךְ֮ (də·rā·ḵa·yiḵ) Noun - common plural construct | second person feminine singular Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action and be ashamed וְנִכְלַמְתְּ֒ (wə·niḵ·lamt) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - second person feminine singular Strong's 3637: To wound, to taunt, insult when you receive בְּקַחְתֵּ֗ךְ (bə·qaḥ·têḵ) Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person feminine singular Strong's 3947: To take your older הַגְּדֹל֣וֹת (hag·gə·ḏō·lō·wṯ) Article | Adjective - feminine plural Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent and אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to younger הַקְּטַנּ֖וֹת (haq·qə·ṭan·nō·wṯ) Article | Adjective - feminine plural Strong's 6996: Small, young, unimportant sisters. אֲחוֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ (’ă·ḥō·w·ṯa·yiḵ) Noun - feminine plural construct | second person feminine singular Strong's 269: Sister -- a sister I will give וְנָתַתִּ֨י (wə·nā·ṯat·tî) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular Strong's 5414: To give, put, set them אֶתְהֶ֥ן (’eṯ·hen) Direct object marker | third person feminine plural Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case to you לָ֛ךְ (lāḵ) Preposition | second person feminine singular Strong's Hebrew as daughters, לְבָנ֖וֹת (lə·ḇā·nō·wṯ) Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural Strong's 1323: A daughter but not וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no because of מִמֵּ֔ךְ (mim·mêḵ) Preposition | second person feminine singular Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of My covenant with you. מִבְּרִיתֵֽךְ׃ (mib·bə·rî·ṯêḵ) Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular Strong's 1285: A covenant Links Ezekiel 16:61 NIVEzekiel 16:61 NLT Ezekiel 16:61 ESV Ezekiel 16:61 NASB Ezekiel 16:61 KJV Ezekiel 16:61 BibleApps.com Ezekiel 16:61 Biblia Paralela Ezekiel 16:61 Chinese Bible Ezekiel 16:61 French Bible Ezekiel 16:61 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Ezekiel 16:61 Then you shall remember your ways (Ezek. 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