Logos Bible Study

Ezekiel 23:3–21

GOD’S WORD TranslationOther versions

English

Arabic

Czech

French

German

Hebrew

Hungarian

Italian

Korean

Latin

Portuguese

Russian

Simplified Chinese

Spanish

Traditional Chinese

3They 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. 5Oholah acted like a prostitute, although she was my wife. She lusted after her Assyrian lovers who lived nearby. 6They were governors and commanders clothed in purple. They were all handsome young men who rode on horses. 7She 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. 8She 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. 10They 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. 12She 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. 13I saw that she was dishonoring herself. Both sisters acted the same way. 14Yet, she carried her prostitution even further. She saw pictures of men carved on walls. They were figures of Babylonian men, painted in bright red. 15The men had belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads. All of them looked like Babylonian officers who were born in Babylon. 16She fell in love with them at first sight and sent messengers to them in Babylonia. 17So 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. 19She remembered how she had been a prostitute in Egypt when she was young. So she took part in even more prostitution. 20She lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose semen was like that of horses. 21So she longed to do the sinful things she did when she was young in Egypt, when young men caressed and fondled her breasts. 

Read in Logos