Ezekiel 16:1–11

Parable of God’s Adulterous Wife

16The word of the Lord came to me again: ²“Son of man, explain Jerusalem’s detestable practices to her. ^o3You are to say: 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. ^p4As for your birth, your umbilical cord wasn’t cut on the day you were born, ^qand you weren’t washed clean ^rwith water. You were not rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. ^s5No one cared enough about you to do even one of these things out of compassion for you. But you were thrown out into the open field because you were despised on the day you were born.

⁶“I passed by you and saw you lying in your blood, and I said to you as you lay in your blood: Live! Yes, I said to you as you lay in your blood: Live! ^t7I made you thrive ^ulike plants of the field. ^vYou grew up and matured and became very beautiful. ^wYour breasts were formed and your hair grew, but you were stark naked.

⁸“Then I passed by you and saw you, and you were indeed at the age for love. So I spread the edge of My garment over you and covered your nakedness. ^xI pledged Myself to you, ^yentered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine.” ^zThis is the declaration of the Lord God. ⁹“I washed you with water, rinsed off your blood, and anointed you with oil. ¹⁰I clothed you in embroidered cloth and provided you with leather sandals. I also wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. ¹¹I adorned you with jewelry, putting bracelets on your wrists and a chain around your neck.