Ezekiel 16:1-34

Good News Translation

Jerusalem the Unfaithful

16 The Lord spoke to me again. ² “Mortal man,” he said, “point out to Jerusalem what disgusting things she has done. ³ Tell Jerusalem what the Sovereign Lord is saying to her:

“You were born in the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite.^{[a] 4} When you were born, no one cut your umbilical cord or washed you^[b] or rubbed you with salt or wrapped you in cloths. ⁵ No one took enough pity on you to do any of these things for you. When you were born, no one loved you. You were thrown out in an open field.

⁶ “Then I passed by and saw you squirming in your own blood. You were covered with blood, but I wouldn't let you die. ⁷ I made you grow like a healthy plant. You grew strong and tall and became a young woman.^[c] Your breasts were well-formed, and your hair had grown, but you were naked.

⁸ “As I passed by again, I saw that the time had come for you to fall in love. I covered your naked body with my coat and promised to love you. Yes, I made a marriage covenant with you, and you became mine.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says.

⁹ “Then I took water and washed the blood off you. I rubbed olive oil on your skin. ¹⁰ I dressed you in embroidered gowns and gave you shoes of the best leather, a linen headband, and a silk cloak. ¹¹ I put jewels on you—bracelets and necklaces. ¹² I gave you a nose ring and earrings and a beautiful crown to wear. ¹³ You had ornaments of gold and silver, and you always wore clothes of embroidered linen and silk. You ate bread made from the best flour, and had honey and olive oil to eat. Your beauty was dazzling, and you became a queen. ¹⁴ You became famous in every nation for your perfect beauty, because I was the one who made you so lovely.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says.

¹⁵ “But you took advantage of your beauty and fame to sleep with everyone who came along.^{[d] 16} You used some of your clothes to decorate your places of worship, and just like a prostitute,^[e] you gave yourself to everyone. ¹⁷ You took the silver and gold jewelry that I had given you, used it to make male images, and committed adultery with them. ¹⁸ You took the embroidered clothes I gave you and put them on the images, and you offered to the images the olive oil and incense I had given you. ¹⁹ I gave you food—the best flour, olive oil, and honey—but you offered it as a sacrifice to win the favor of idols.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says.

²⁰ “Then you took the sons and the daughters you had borne me and offered them as sacrifices to idols. Wasn't it bad enough to be unfaithful to me, ²¹ without taking my children and sacrificing them to idols? ²² During your disgusting life as a prostitute you never once remembered your childhood—when you were naked, squirming in your own blood.”

Jerusalem's Life as a Prostitute

²³ The Sovereign Lord said, “You are doomed! Doomed! You did all that evil, and then ²⁴ by the side of every road you built places to worship idols and practice prostitution. ²⁵ You dragged your beauty through the mud. You offered yourself to everyone who came by, and you were more of a prostitute every day. ²⁶ You let your lustful neighbors, the Egyptians, go to bed with you, and you used your prostitution to make me angry.

²⁷ “Now I have raised my hand to punish you and to take away your share of my blessing. I have handed you over to the Philistines, who hate you and are disgusted with your immoral actions.

²⁸ “Because you were not satisfied by the others, you went running after the Assyrians. You were their prostitute, but they didn't satisfy you either. ²⁹ You were also a prostitute for the Babylonians, that nation of merchants, but they didn't satisfy you either.”

³⁰ This^[f] is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: “You have done all this like a shameless prostitute. ³¹ On every street you built places to worship idols and practice prostitution. But you are not out for money like a common prostitute. ³² You are like a woman who commits adultery with strangers instead of loving her husband. ³³ A prostitute is paid, but you gave presents to all your lovers and bribed them to come from everywhere to sleep with you. ³⁴ You are a special kind of prostitute. No one forced you to become one. You didn't get paid; you paid them! Yes, you are different.”