CHAPTER 16
and tell her
this is what
the Lord
GOD
says
to Jerusalem:
‘Your origin
and your birth
were in the land
of the Canaanites.
Your father
was an Amorite
and your mother
a Hittite.
On the day
of your birth
your cord
was not
cut,
nor
were you washed
with water
for cleansing.
You were not
rubbed with salt
or wrapped in cloths.
No
one cared enough
for you
to do
even one
of these things
out of compassion
for you.
Instead, you were thrown out
into
the open
field,
because you
were despised
on the day
of your birth.
Then I passed
by
you and saw
you squirming
in your blood,
and as you lay there in your blood
I said
to you,
“Live!”
There
I said
to you,
“Live!”
I made
you thrive
like a plant
of the field.
You grew up
and matured
and became
very beautiful.
Your breasts
were formed
and your hair
grew,
but you
were naked
and bare.
Then I passed
by
you and saw you,
and you were indeed
old enough
for love.
So I spread
My cloak
over you
and covered
your nakedness.
I pledged Myself to you,
entered
into a covenant
with you,
and you became
Mine,
declares
the Lord
GOD.
I clothed
you in embroidered cloth
and provided you
sandals of fine leather.
I wrapped
you in fine linen
and covered
you with silk.
So you were adorned
with gold
and silver,
and your clothes
were of fine linen,
silk,
and embroidered cloth.
You ate
fine flour,
honey,
and oil.
You became very
beautiful
and rose to be
a queen.
Your fame
spread
among the nations
on account of your beauty,
for
it was
perfect
in the splendor
I bestowed
on you,
declares
the Lord
GOD.
But because of
your fame,
you trusted
in your beauty
and played the harlot.
You lavished
your favors
on
everyone
who passed by,
and your beauty was theirs for the askin
You took
some of your garments
and made
colorful
high places for yourself,
and on them
you prostituted yourself.
Such things should not
have happened;
never should
they have occurred!
You also took
the fine
jewelry
of gold
and silver
I had given you,
and you made
male
idols
with which
to prostitute yourself.
And you set
before them
as a pleasing
aroma
the food
I had given you—
the fine flour,
oil,
and honey
that I had fed you.
That is what happened,
declares
the Lord
GOD.
You even took
the sons
and daughters
you bore
to Me
and sacrificed
them
as food to idols.
Was your prostitution
not enough?
And
in all
your abominations
and acts of prostitution,
you did not
remember
the days
of your youth
when you were
naked
and bare,
wallowing
in your own blood.
At
the head
of every
street
you built
your lofty shrines
and degraded
your beauty.
With increasing
promiscuity,
you spread
your legs
to all
who passed by.
You prostituted yourself
with
your lustful
neighbors,
the Egyptians,
and increased
your promiscuity
to provoke Me to anger.
Therefore
I stretched out
My hand
against you
and reduced
your portion.
I gave you over
to the desire
of those who hate you,
the daughters
of the Philistines,
who were ashamed
of your lewd
conduct.
Then you prostituted yourself
with
the Assyrians
because you were not
satisfied.
Even after that,
you were still
not
satisfied.
So you extended
your promiscuity
to
Chaldea,
the land
of merchants—
but even
with this
you were not
satisfied!
How
weak-willed
is your heart,
declares
the Lord
GOD,
while you do
all
these things,
the acts
of a shameless
prostitute!
But when you built
your shrines
at the head
of every
street
and made
your lofty shrines
in every
public square,
you were
not even like
a prostitute,
because you scorned
payment.
Men give
gifts
to all
their prostitutes,
but you
gave
gifts
to all
your lovers.
You bribed
them
to come
to you
from everywhere
for your illicit favors.
So your prostitution
is
the opposite
of that
of other women:
No one
solicited
your favors,
and you paid
a fee
instead of
receiving
one;
so you
are
the very opposite.’
This is what
the Lord
GOD
says:
‘Because
you poured out
your wealth
and exposed
your nakedness
in your promiscuity
with
your lovers
and with
all
your detestable
idols,
and because of the blood
of your children
which
you gave
to them,
therefore
I will surely
gather
all
the lovers
with whom you found pleasure,
all
those
you loved
and
all
those
you hated.
I will gather
them
against you
from all around
and expose
you
before them,
and they will see
all
your nakedness.
And I will sentence you
to the punishment
of women who commit adultery
and those who shed
blood;
so I will bring upon you
the wrath
of your bloodshed
and jealousy.
Then I will hand you over
to your lovers,
and they will level
your mounds
and tear down
your lofty shrines.
They will strip off
your clothes,
take
your fine
jewelry,
and leave you
naked
and bare.
Then they will burn down
your houses
and execute
judgment
against you
in the sight
of many
women.
I will put an end
to your prostitution,
and you will never
again
pay
your lovers.
So I will lay to rest
My wrath
against you,
and My jealousy
will turn away
from you.
Then I will be calm
and no
longer
angry.
Because
you did not
remember
the days
of your youth,
but enraged
Me with all
these
things,
I will surely
bring your deeds
down
upon your own head,
declares
the Lord
GOD.
Have you not
committed
this lewdness
on top
of all
your other abominations?
Behold,
everyone
who quotes proverbs
will recite this proverb
about you:
“Like mother,
like daughter.”
You
are the daughter
of your mother,
who despised
her husband
and children.
You
are the sister
of your sisters,
who
despised
their husbands
and children.
Your mother
was a Hittite
and your father
an Amorite.
Your older
sister
was Samaria,
who
lived
with her daughters
to
your north;
and your younger
sister
was Sodom,
who lived
with her daughters
to
your south.
You not only
walked
in their
ways
and practiced
their abominations,
but soon you were
more depraved than they were.
As surely as I
live,
declares
the Lord
GOD,
your sister
Sodom
and her daughters
never
did
as
you
and your daughters
have done.
Now
this
was
the iniquity
of your sister
Sodom:
She and her daughters
were
arrogant,
overfed,
and complacent;
they did not
help
the poor
and needy.
Thus they were haughty
and committed
abominations
before Me,
and when
I saw this,
I removed
them.
But Samaria
did not
commit
half
the sins you did.
You have multiplied
your abominations
beyond theirs,
and all
the abominations
you have committed
have made your sisters
appear righteous.
So now
you
must bear
your disgrace,
since
you have brought justification
for your sisters.
For they appear more righteous
than you,
because your sins
were more vile
than theirs.
So you
too
must bear
your shame
and disgrace,
since you have made your sisters
appear righteous.
But I will restore
Sodom
and her daughters
from captivity,
as well as
Samaria
and her daughters.
And I will restore you
along with them.
And your sisters,
Sodom
with her daughters
and Samaria
with her daughters,
will return
to their former state.
You
and your daughters
will also return
to your former state.
before
your wickedness
was uncovered?
Even so,
you are now
scorned
by the daughters
of Edom
and all
those around her,
and by the daughters
of the Philistines—
all those around you
who despise
you.
For
this is what
the Lord
GOD
says:
‘I will deal
with you
according to
your deeds,
since
you have despised
the oath
by breaking
the covenant.
But I
will remember
the covenant
I made with you
in the days
of your youth,
and I will establish
an everlasting covenant with you.
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.
so that
when I make atonement
for all
you have done,
you will remember
and be ashamed,
and never
open
your mouth
again
because of
your disgrace,
declares
the Lord
GOD.’”