The Two Adulterous Sisters
Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother, Ezk 16:44-46Jer 3:7-10 and they played in Egypt, prostituting themselves from their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin bosoms caressed. Lev 17:7Ezk 16:22Jos 24:14Deu 29:16Ezk 20:8Ezk 23:19Ezk 23:21Ezk 23:8 The older was named Oholah, 1 and her sister was named Oholibah. 2 They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their identities, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. Ezk 16:81Ki 12:201Ki 12:26-331Ki 8:29Exo 19:5-6Ezk 16:20Ezk 16:40Jer 2:2-3
Oholah prostituted herself while she was still Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors 2Ki 15:192Ki 16:72Ki 17:3Hos 5:132Ki 17:7-18Ezk 16:28Hos 8:9-10Jer 50:38 clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all desirable young men, horsemen mounted on steeds. Ezk 23:23 She offered sexual favors to all the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all the idols of those for whom she lusted. Hos 5:3Hos 6:10Ezk 20:7Ezk 22:3-4Ezk 16:15Ezk 23:30Gen 10:22Psa 106:39
She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when men slept with her in her youth, caressed her virgin bosom, and poured out their lust upon her. Exo 32:4Ezk 23:19Ezk 23:31Ki 12:282Ki 10:292Ki 17:16Ezk 23:21 Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians for whom she lusted. 2Ki 15:292Ki 17:23Hos 11:51Ch 5:262Ki 17:3-62Ki 18:9-12Rev 17:12-13Rev 17:16 They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and put her to the sword. Thus she became a byword among women, and they executed judgment against her. Ezk 23:29Hos 2:10Ezk 16:37-41Ezk 23:48Hos 2:3Jer 22:8-9
Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister. Jer 3:8-11Ezk 16:47-51Ezk 23:4 She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors dressed in splendor, horsemen riding on steeds, all desirable young men. 2Ki 16:7-152Ch 28:16-23Ezk 16:28Ezk 23:23Ezk 23:5-6 And I saw that she too had defiled herself; both of them had taken the same path. 2Ki 17:18-19Ezk 23:31Hos 12:1-2
But Oholibah carried her prostitution even further. She saw the men portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans, 3 engraved in vermilion, Ezk 8:10Jer 22:14Ezk 16:29Isa 46:1Jer 50:2 wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like officers of the Babylonians in Chaldea, 4 the land of their birth. 1Sa 18:42Sa 14:25Isa 22:21Jdg 8:18 At the sight of them, she lusted for them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. Ezk 16:29Mat 5:282Ki 24:12Pe 2:142Sa 11:2Ezk 16:17Ezk 23:40-41Gen 3:6 Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. But after she had been defiled by them, she turned away in disgust. Ezk 23:22Ezk 23:282Sa 13:15Ezk 16:37Gen 10:10Gen 11:9
When Oholibah openly prostituted herself and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister. Jer 12:8Psa 106:40Psa 78:59Ezk 21:24Jer 6:8Jer 8:12Amo 5:21Amo 6:8 Yet she multiplied her promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth, when she had prostituted herself in the land of Egypt Ezk 23:3Amo 4:4Ezk 16:22Ezk 16:25Ezk 16:29Ezk 16:51Ezk 20:7Ezk 23:14 and lusted after their lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions. Ezk 16:26Ezk 17:15Ezk 16:20Jer 5:8 So you revisited the indecency of your youth, when the Egyptians caressed your bosom and pressed your young breasts.
Oholibah to Be Plagued
Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will incite your lovers against you, those from whom you turned away in disgust. And I will bring them against you from every side— Ezk 16:37Rev 17:16Ezk 23:28Ezk 23:9Hab 1:6-10Isa 10:5-6Isa 39:3-4Jer 12:9-12 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them—all desirable young men, governors and commanders, officers and men of renown, mounted on horses. Jer 50:212Ki 20:14-172Ki 24:2Ezk 23:12Ezk 23:6Ezr 6:22Gen 2:14Gen 25:18
They will come against you with a host of peoples, 5 with weapons, chariots, and wagons. They will array themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet. I will delegate judgment to them, and they will punish you according to their own standards. 2Sa 24:14Ezk 16:38Ezk 23:45Ezk 26:10Jer 39:5-6Jer 47:3Nam 2:3-4Ezk 21:23 And I will set My jealous rage against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and ears, and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters, and your remnant will be consumed by fire. Ezk 23:47Exo 34:14Ezk 15:6-7Ezk 16:38-42Ezk 20:47-48Ezk 5:13Ezk 8:1-18Hos 2:4-5 They will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry. Ezk 16:39Jer 13:22Ezk 23:291Pe 3:3-4Ezk 16:16Ezk 16:37Hos 2:3Hos 2:9-10 So I will put an end to your indecency and prostitution, which began in the land of Egypt, and you will not lift your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.’ Ezk 16:41Ezk 23:19Ezk 23:3Ezk 22:15Isa 27:9Mic 5:10-14Zec 13:2
For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hands of those you hate, from whom you turned away in disgust. Ezk 16:37Ezk 23:17Ezk 23:22Jer 34:20Jer 21:7-10Jer 24:8 They will treat you with hatred, take all for which you have worked, and leave you naked and bare, so that the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your indecency and promiscuity Ezk 16:39Ezk 23:25-26Ezk 23:45-472Sa 13:15Deu 28:47-51Ezk 16:36-37Ezk 23:18 have brought these things upon you, because you have prostituted yourself with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. Ezk 6:9Ezk 23:12-21Ezk 23:7Jer 2:18-20Jer 22:8-9Psa 106:35-38Jer 16:11-12 Because you have followed the path of your sister, I will put her cup into your hand.’ 2Ki 21:13Jer 7:14-15Dan 9:12Ezk 16:47-51Ezk 23:13Jer 25:15Jer 3:8-11
This is what the Lord GOD says: Isa 51:17Psa 60:3Ezk 22:4-51Ki 9:7Deu 28:37Ezk 25:6Ezk 26:2Ezk 35:15
‘You will drink your sister’s cup,
a cup deep and wide.
It will bring scorn and derision,
for it holds so much.
You will be filled with drunkenness and grief, Isa 51:17Jer 25:27Isa 51:22Jer 25:15-16Hab 2:16
with a cup of devastation and desolation,
the cup of your sister Samaria.
You will drink it and drain it; Psa 75:8Isa 51:17Ezk 23:3Ezk 23:8Rev 18:7
you will dash it to pieces,
and tear your breasts.
For I have spoken,’
declares the Lord GOD.
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have forgotten Me and have cast Me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and prostitution.’” 1Ki 14:9Ezk 22:12Isa 17:10Jer 3:21Jer 32:33Hos 13:6Hos 8:14Jer 2:32
Judgment on Both Sisters
Then the LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you pass judgment against Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations. Ezk 22:2Ezk 16:2Ezk 20:4Isa 58:1Jer 1:101Co 6:2-3Act 7:51-53Hos 2:2 For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, in the fire 6as food for their idols. Ezk 16:36Ezk 16:20-21Ezk 16:38Ezk 20:26Jer 32:35Jer 7:312Ki 17:172Ki 21:6
They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths. Ezk 20:132Ki 21:7Ezk 20:24Ezk 7:202Ki 21:42Ki 23:11-12Ezk 22:8Ezk 8:5-16 On the very day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary to profane it. Yes, they did this inside My house. 2Ki 21:4Ezk 44:7Jer 23:112Ch 33:4-7Ezk 23:38Isa 3:9Jer 11:15Jer 7:8-11
Furthermore, you sisters sent 7messengers for men who came from afar; and behold, when they arrived, you bathed for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry. 2Ki 9:30Jer 4:30Ezk 16:13-16Isa 3:18-23Isa 57:92Ki 20:13-15Est 2:12Ezk 23:13 You sat on a couch of luxury with a table spread before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil, Est 1:6Amo 6:4Ezk 44:16Isa 65:11Jer 44:17Isa 57:7Amo 2:8Ezk 16:18-19 accompanied by the sound of a carefree crowd. Drunkards 8were brought in from the desert along with men from the rabble, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your head. Ezk 16:11-12Amo 6:1-6Exo 32:18-19Exo 32:6Gen 24:30Hos 13:6Job 1:15Jol 3:8
Then I said of her who had grown old in adulteries: ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is!’ Dan 9:16Ezk 23:3Ezr 9:7Jer 13:23Psa 106:6
And they slept with her as with a prostitute; they slept with Oholah and Oholibah, those lewd women. Ezk 23:3Ezk 23:9-13 But righteous men will sentence them to the punishment of those who commit adultery and bloodshed, because they are adulteresses with blood on their hands. Ezk 16:38-43Ezk 23:36-39Hos 6:5Lev 20:10Deu 22:21-24Jer 5:14Jhn 8:3-7Lev 21:9
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Bring a mob against them and consign them to terror and plunder. Ezk 16:40Jer 15:4Jer 24:9Ezk 23:22-26Jer 25:9Jer 34:17 The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords. They will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses. Ezk 16:40-41Ezk 24:21Jer 39:82Ch 36:17-19Deu 13:16Ezk 23:25Ezk 23:29Ezk 24:6 So I will put an end to indecency in the land, and all the women will be admonished not to imitate your behavior. 2Pe 2:6Ezk 16:41Ezk 23:27Ezk 6:61Co 10:6-11Deu 13:11Ezk 22:15Ezk 36:25 They will repay you for your indecency, and you will bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’” Ezk 7:4Ezk 9:10Ezk 20:38Ezk 6:7Ezk 7:9Isa 59:18Ezk 11:21Ezk 16:43