Ezekiel 16:1–11

Jerusalem Plays the Harlot

¹Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

²“Son of man, ^amake 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.

⁴“As for your birth, ^aon 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.

⁵“No 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 ^1aopen 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!’

⁷“I ^amade you ¹numerous 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, ¹you were at the time for love; so I ^aspread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also ^bswore to you and ^centered into a covenant with you so that you ^dbecame Mine,” declares Lord Yahweh.

⁹“Then I washed you with water, rinsed your blood off from you, and ^aanointed you with oil.

¹⁰“I also clothed you with ^aembroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk.

¹¹“I also adorned you with ornaments and put ^abracelets on your hands and a ^bnecklace around your neck.