Ezekiel 16:1–14

Jerusalem as an Adulterous Wife

16 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, confrontb Jerusalem with her detestable practicesc 3 and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your ancestryd and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your fathere was an Amoritef and your mother a Hittite.g 4 On the day you were bornh your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. 5 No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.

6 “ ‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”a i 7 I made you growj like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.k

8 “ ‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garmentl over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenantm with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.n

9 “ ‘I bathed you with water and washedo the blood from you and put ointments on you. 10 I clothed you with an embroideredp dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linenq and covered you with costly garments.r 11 I adorned you with jewelry:s I put braceletst on your arms and a necklaceu around your neck, 12 and I put a ring on your nose,v earringsw on your ears and a beautiful crownx on your head.y 13 So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothesz were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oila and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen.b 14 And your famec spread among the nations on account of your beauty,d because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.e