¶ The word of the LORD came unto me, saying:
Thou son of man, there were two women, that had one mother:
These (when they were young) began to play the harlots in Egypt. There were their breasts bruised, and the pappes of their maidenhead destroyed.
The eldest of them was called Oholah and her youngest sister Oholibah. These two were mine, and bare sons and daughters. Their names were, Samaria, and that was Oholah: and Ierusalem, that was Oholibah:
As for Oholah she began to go a whoring, when I had taken her to me. She was set on fire upon her lovers the Assirians,
which had to do with her: even the princes and lords, that were decked in costly array: fair young men, lusty riders of horses.
Thus thorow her whoredom, she cleaved unto all the young men of Assyria: Yea she was mad upon them, and defiled herself with all their Idols.
Neither ceased she from the fornication, that she used with the Egyptians: for in her youth they lay with her, they bruised the breasts of her maidenhead, and poured their whoredom upon her.
Wherefore, I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, even the Assyrians, whom she so loved.
These discovered her shame, took her sons and daughters, and slew her with the sword: An evil name gat she of all people, and they punished her.
¶ Her sister Aholibah saw this, and destroyed herself with inordinate love, more than she, and exceeded her sister in whoredom:
she loved the Assyrians, (which also lay with her) namely, the princes and great lords, that were clothed with all manner of gorgeous apparel, all lusty horsemen and fair young persons.
Then I saw, that they both were defiled a like.
But she increased still in whoredom: for when she saw men painted upon the wall, the images of the Chaldees set forth with fresh colours,
with fair girdles about them, and goodly bonnets upon their heads, looking all like princes (after the manner of the Babylonians and Chaldees in their own land, where they be born)
immediatley, as soon as she saw them, she brent in love upon them, and sent messengers for them into the land of the Chaldees.
Now when the Babylonians came to her, they lay with her, and defiled her with their whoredom, and so was she polluted with them. And when her lust was abated from them,
her whoredom and shame was discovered and seen: then my heart forsook her, like as my heart was gone from her sister also.
Nevertheless, she used her whoredome ever the longer the more, and remembered the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt:
she brent in lust upon them, whose flesh was like the flesh of Asses, and their seed like the seed of horses.
Thus thou hast renewed the filthiness of thy youth, when thy lovers bruised thy paps, and marred thy breasts in Egypt.
¶ Therefore (O Oholibah) thus sayeth the Lord GOD. I will raise up thy lovers (with whom thou hast satisfied thy lust) against thee, and gather them together round about thee:
Namely, the Babylonians, and all the Chaldees: Pecod, Schoa, and Coa, with all the Assyrians: all young and fair lovers: princes and lords, knights and gentlemen, which be all good horsemen:
These shall come upon thee with horses, chariots, and a great multitude of people: which shall be harnessed about thee on every side, with breastplates, shields and helmets. I will punish thee before them, yea they themselves shall punish thee, according to their own judgement.
I will put my jealousy upon thee, so that they shall deal cruelly with thee. They shall cut off thy nose and thine ears, and the remnant shall fall thorow the sword. They shall carry away thy sons and daughters, and the residue shall be brent in the fire.
They shall strip thee out of thy clothes, and carry thy costly jewels away with them.
Thus will I make an end of thy filthiness and whoredom, which thou hast brought out from the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt turn thine eyes no more after them, and cast thy mind no more upon Egypt.
For thus sayeth the LORD: behold, I will deliver thee into the hands of them, whom thou hatest: yea even into the hands of them, with whom thou hast fulfilled thy lust,
which shall deal cruelly with thee: All thy labour shall they take with them, and leave thee naked and bare, and thus the shame of thy filthy whoredom shall come to light.
All these things shall happen unto thee, because of thy whoredom, which thou hast used among the Gentiles, with whose Idols thou hast defiled thy self.
Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister, therefore will I give thee her cup in thy hand.
Thus sayeth the Lord GOD: Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup, how deep and farre soever it be to the bottom. Thou shalt be laughed to scorn, and had as greatly inderision, as is possible.
Thou shalt be full of drunkenness and sorrow, for the cup of thy sister Samaria is a cup of destruction and wasting:
The same shalt thou drink, and sup it out even to the dregs; Yea thou shalt eat up the broken pieces of it, and so tear thine own breasts: for even I have spoken it, sayeth the Lord GOD.
Therefore thus sayeth the Lord GOD: For so much as thou hast forgotten me, and cast me aside, so bear now thy own filthiness and whoredom.
¶ The LORD said moreover unto me: Thou son of man, wilt thou not reprove Oholah and Oholibah? Shew them their abominations:
namely, that they have broken their wedlock, and stained their hands with blood: yea even with their idols have they committed advoutry, and offered them their own children (to be devoured) whom they have born unto me.
Yea and this have they done unto me also: they have defiled my Sanctuary in that same day, and have unhallowed my Sabbath.
For when they had slain their children for their idols, they came the same day into my Sanctuary to defile it. Lo, this have they done in my house.
Beside all this, thou hast sent thy messengers for men out of far countries: and when they came, thou hast bathed, trimmed and set forth thy self of the best fashion:
thou satest upon a goodly bed, and a table spread before thee: whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oil.
Then was there great cheer with her: and the men that were sent from far countries over the desert, unto these they gave bracelets upon their hands, and set glorious crowns upon their heads:
Then thought I: no doubt, these will use their harlotry also with yonder old whore.
And they went into her, as unto a common harlot: Even so went they also to Oholah and Oholibah those filthy women.
O ye all that love virtue and righteousness, judge them, punish them: as advoutrers and murderers ought to be judged and punished. For they are breakers of wedlock, and the blood is in their hands.
Wherefore thus sayeth the Lord GOD: bring a great multitude of people upon them, and make them be scattered and spoiled:
these shall stone them and gore them with their swords. They shall slay their sons and daughters and burn up their houses with fire.
Thus will I destroy all such filthiness out of the land, that all women may learn, not to do after your uncleanness.
And so they shall lay your filthiness upon your own selves, and ye shall be punished for the sins, that ye have committed with your Idols: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.