Jerusalem Plays the Harlot

1Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations 3and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh to Jerusalem, “Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths. 5No eye had pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the [†]open field, for your soul was abhorred on the day you were born.

6“Then I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood. So I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ Indeed I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ 7I made you [†]numerous like plants of the field. Then you grew up, became tall, and came into the age for fine ornaments; your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown. Yet you were naked and bare.

8“Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, [†]you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine,” declares Lord Yahweh. 9“Then I washed you with water, rinsed your blood off from you, and anointed you with oil. 10I also clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 11I also adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck. 12I also put a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a splendid crown on your head. 13Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. 14Then your name went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My majesty which I set on you,” declares Lord Yahweh.

15“But you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your name, and you poured out your harlotries on every passer-by [†]who might be willing. 16You took some of your clothes, made for yourself high places of various colors, and played the harlot on them, [†]which should never come about nor happen. 17You also took your splendid [†]jewelry made of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images that you might play the harlot with them. 18Then you took your embroidered cloth and covered them and gave My oil and My incense before them. 19Also My bread which I gave you, fine flour, oil, and honey with which I had you eat, you gave before them for a soothing aroma; so it happened,” declares Lord Yahweh. 20“Moreover, you took your sons and daughters, whom you had borne to Me, and sacrificed them to [†]idols to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter? 21You slaughtered My children and gave them up to [†]idols by causing them to pass through the fire. 22Besides all your abominations and harlotries you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare—you were squirming in your blood!

23“Now it happened after all your evil—‘Woe, woe to you!’ declares Lord Yahweh— 24that you built yourself a shrine and made yourself a high place in every square. 25You built yourself a high place at the head of every street and made your beauty abominable, and you spread your legs to every passer-by to multiply your harlotry. 26You also played the harlot with the Egyptians, your [†]lustful neighbors, and you multiplied your harlotry to provoke Me to anger. 27Behold now, I have stretched out My hand against you and cut off your rations. And I gave you up to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd way. 28Moreover, you played the harlot with the Assyrians because you were not satisfied; you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied. 29You also multiplied your harlotry with the land of merchants, Chaldea, yet even with this you were not satisfied.”’”

30“How languishing is your heart,” declares Lord Yahweh, “while you do all these things, the actions of a [†]bold-faced harlot. 31When you built your shrine at the head of every way and made your high place in every square, in disdaining your earnings, you were not like a harlot. 32You adulteress wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband! 33[†]Men give gifts to all harlots, but you give your gifts to all your lovers to bribe them to come to you from all around for your harlotries. 34Thus you are the opposite of those women in your harlotries, in that no one plays the harlot [†]as you do, because you give away your earnings and no earnings are given to you; thus you are the opposite.”

35Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of Yahweh. 36Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because your lewdness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered through your harlotries with your lovers and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your sons which you gave to [†]idols, 37therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, even all those whom you loved and all those whom you hated. So I will gather them against you from all around and uncover your nakedness to them that they may see all your nakedness. 38Thus I will judge you like women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy. 39I will also give you into [†]the hands of your lovers, and they will pull down your shrines, tear down your high places, strip you of your clothing, take away your [†]splendid jewelry, and will leave you naked and bare. 40They will bring up an assembly against you, and they will stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. 41They will burn your houses with fire and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women. Then I will make you cease from playing the harlot, and you will also no longer give [†]your earnings to your lovers. 42So I will [†]cause My wrath against you to be at rest, and My jealousy will depart from you, and I will be quiet, and I will not be provoked anymore. 43Because you have not remembered the days of your youth but [†]have enraged Me by all these things, behold, I in turn will bring your way down on your own head,” declares Lord Yahweh, “so that you will not commit this lewdness on top of all your other abominations.

44“Behold, everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb concerning you, saying, ‘[†]Like mother, [†]like daughter.’ 45You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and children. You are also the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. 46Now your older sister is Samaria, who lives [†]north of you with her [†]daughters; and your younger sister, who lives [†]south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. 47Yet you have not merely walked in their ways or done according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you acted more corruptly in all your ways than they. 48As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “Sodom your sister and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. 49Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had lofty pride, abundant food, and quiet ease, but she did not strengthen the hand of the afflicted and needy. 50Then they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. So I removed them [†]when I saw it. 51Furthermore, Samaria did not commit half of your sins, for you have multiplied your abominations more than they. Thus you have made your sisters appear righteous by all your abominations which you have done. 52Also bear your dishonor in that you have [†]made judgment favorable for your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. Yes, be also ashamed and bear your dishonor, in that you made your sisters appear righteous.

53“Nevertheless, I will [†]return their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and [†]along with them [†]your own captivity, 54in order that you may bear your dishonor and feel dishonor for all that you have done when you become a comfort to them. 55Your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, [†]will return to their former state, and you with your daughters will also return to your former state. 56As the name of your sister Sodom was not heard in your mouth in your day of lofty pride, 57before your wickedness was uncovered, [†]so now you have become the reproach of the daughters of [†]Edom and of all who are around her, of the daughters of the Philistines—those all around you who despise you. 58You have borne the penalty of your lewdness and abominations,” declares Yahweh. 59For thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will also do with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath by breaking the covenant.

Yahweh’s Everlasting Covenant

60“Nevertheless, I Myself will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. 61Then 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. 62Thus I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am Yahweh, 63so that you may remember and be ashamed and never open your mouth anymore because of your dishonor, when I have atoned for you for all that you have done,” declares Lord Yahweh.