“Son of man, confront Zion with her abominations. Speak to her: This is what the Sovereign LORD says—You are of Canaanite birth; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
On the day you were born, no one cared for you. Your cord was not cut, you were not washed or cleansed, nor wrapped with care. No eye looked on you with compassion. You were cast out into the open field, abandoned and left to die.
But I passed by and saw you there, struggling in your own blood, and I said to you, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you, ‘Live!’ I caused you to grow like a plant of the field. You matured and became beautiful—your form developed, your hair grew, yet you were still bare and exposed.
Then I passed by you again and saw that you had reached the age of love. So I spread my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I pledged myself to you, entered into covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine.
I bathed you with water, washed away your blood, and anointed you with oil. I clothed you in fine linen and richly embroidered garments, and gave you sandals of fine leather. I adorned you with ornaments—bracelets on your wrists, a necklace on your neck, a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears, and a crown upon your head.
You were exceedingly beautiful, and your fame spread among the nations because of the splendor I had given you—it made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD.
“‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his.
You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them.
And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense before them.
“‘And you took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?
You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.
“‘Woe! Woe to you, declares the Sovereign LORD. In addition to all your other wickedness,
So I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were shocked by your lewd conduct.
How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman;
“‘You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband!
All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood,
therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked.
I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger.
Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry and leave you stark naked.
They will bring a mob against you, who will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords.
They will burn down your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women. I will put a stop to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers.
Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry.
You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children.
Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.
Your older sister was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom.
You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they.
before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned by the daughters of Edom and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you.
“‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant.
Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.
So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD.
Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign LORD.’”