Ezekiel 16:1–8

God’s Love for Jerusalem

16 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, acause Jerusalem to know her abominations, 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: “Your 1birth band your nativity are from the land of Canaan; cyour father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 As for your nativity, don the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. 5 No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were 2loathed on the day you were born.

6 “And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ 7 eI made you 3thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.

8 “When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; fso I spread 4My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I gswore an oath to you and entered into a hcovenant with you, and iyou became Mine,” says the Lord God.