Ezekiel 23

Matthew^{(i) 1} The worde of the Lorde came vnto me, sayinge: ² Thou sonne of man, there were two wemen, that had one mother: ³ these (when they were younge) beganne to playe the harlottes in Egipte. There were their brestes brosed, and the pappes of their mayden head destroyed. ⁴ The eldest of them was called Oholah and her youngest syster Oholibah. These two were myne, & bare sonnes and doughters. Their names were, Samaria, and that was Oholah: and Ierusalem, that was Oholibah. ⁵ As for Oholah she beganne to go a whorynge, when I had taken her to me. She was set on fyre vpon her louers the Assirians, ⁶ whiche had to do with her: euen the princes & lordes, that were deckte in costly araye: fayre younge men, lusty riders of horses. ⁷ Thus thorowe her whordome she cleued vnto all the younge men of Assiria. Yea she was made vpon them, and defyled her self with al their Idols. ⁸ Neyther ceassed she from the fornicacyon, that she vsed wyth the Egyptians, for in her youth they laye wt her, they brosed the brestes of her maydenheade, and poored their whordome vpon her. ⁹ Wherfore I deliuered her into the handes of her louers euen the Assirians, whom she so loued. ¹⁰ These discouered her shame, toke her sonnes and doughters, and slue her with the swerde. An euyll name gat she of all people, and they punyshed her. ¹¹ Her sister Oholibah sawe this, & destroyed her selfe with inordinate loue, more then she, & exceaded her syster in whordome: ¹² she loued the Assirians (which also lay wt her) namelye the princes & greate lordes, that were clothed with all maner of gorgyous apparell, all lustye horsemen and faire younge personnes. ¹³ Then I sawe, that they bothe were defiled a like. ¹⁴ But she increased still in whordome: for when she sawe men paynted vpon the wall, the ymages of the Caldees set forthe wyth freshe colours, ¹⁵ with fayre gyrdles aboute them and goodly bonnettes vpon their heades, lokinge all like Princes (after the maner of the Babilonians and Caldees in their owne lande where they be borne) ¹⁶ immediatly, as sone as she sawe them, she brent in loue vpon them, & sent messaungers for them into the lande of the Caldees. ¹⁷ Now when the Babilonians came to her they laye with her, and defiled her with their whordome, and so was she polluted wyth them. And when her lust was abated from them: ¹⁸ her whordome and shame was dyscouered & sene: then my herte forsoke her, lyke as my herte was gone from her syster also. ¹⁹ Neuerthelesse she vsed her whordome euer the longer the more, and remembred the dayes of her youth, wherin she hath played the harlot in the lande of Egipte: ²⁰ she brent in lust vpon them, whose flesh was like the fleshe of Asses & their sede like the sede of horses. ²¹ Thus thou hast renued the filthinesse of thy youth, when thy louers brosed thy pappes, & marred thy brestes in Egipte. ²² Therfore (O Oholibah) thus sayeth the lord God. I will raise vp thy louers (with whom thou hast satisfied thy lust) against the, and gather them together rounde aboute the: ²³ namely, the Babilonians, & all the Caldees: Perod, Schoa and Coa, with al the Assirians: al younge and fayre louers: prynces and lordes knightes and gentlemen, whiche be all good horsmen: ²⁴ These shal come vpon the with horses, charrettes, and a great multitude of people: whiche shalbe harnessed about the on euery side, with brestplates, sheldes and helmettes. I will punishe the before them, yea they them selues shal punish the, accordinge to their owne iudgement. ²⁵ I will put my gelousy vpon the, so that they shall deale cruelly with the. They shall cut of thine nose and thyne eares, and the remnaunte shall fall thorow the swerde. They shall carie awaye thy sonnes and doughters, and the residue shalbe brent in the fyre. ²⁶ They shall stripe the oute of thy clothes, and cary the costly Iewels away with them. ²⁷ Thus wil I make an ende of thy filthinesse and whordome, whiche thou haste broughte oute of the lande of Egipte: so that thou shalt turne thyne eyes no more after them, and cast thy minde no more vpon Egipte. ²⁸ For thus sayeth the Lorde: behold, I wil deliuer the into the handes of them, whom thou hatest: yea euen into the handes of them, wt whom thou hast fulfilled thy lust, ²⁹ whiche shall deale cruellye with the: Al thy laboure shall they take with them, and leaue the naked & bare, & thus the shame of thy filthy whordome shal come to light. ³⁰ All these thynges shall happen vnto the, because of thy whordome, whyche thou hast vsed amonge the Gentiles wyth whose Idoles thou hast defiled thy selfe. ³¹ Thou hast walcked in the waye of thy syster, therefore will I geue the her cuppe in thy hande. ³² Thus sayeth the Lorde God: Thou shalte dryncke vp thy sisters cuppe, how depe and farre soeuer it be to the botome. Thou shalte be laughed to scorne, and had as greatlye in derysyon, as is possible. ³³ Thou shalte be full of dronckennes and sorowe, for the cuppe of thy sister Samaria is a cuppe of destruccyon and wastynge: ³⁴ the same shalt thou dryncke, & suppe it oute euen to the dregges, yea thou shalt eate vp the broken peces of it, and so feare thine owne brestes: For euen I haue spoken it, sayeth the Lorde God. ³⁵ Therfore thus sayeth the Lorde God: For so muche as thou hast forgotten me, & cast me aside, so beare now thyne owne fylthynesse & whordome. ³⁶ The Lord sayde moreouer vnto me: Thou sonne of man wilt thou not reproue Oholah and Oholibah? Shewe them their abhominacyons: ³⁷ namelye, that they haue broken their wedlocke, and stayned their handes with bloud: yea euen with their ydoles haue they committed aduoutry, & offered them their owne children (to be deuoured) whom they had borne vnto me. ³⁸ Yea, and this haue they done vnto me: also, they haue defiled my Sanctuary in that same daye, & haue vnhalowed my Sabboth. ³⁹ For when they haue slayne their children for their Idoles, they came the same daye into my Sanctuary to defile it. Lo, thys haue they done in my house. ⁴⁰ Beside all thys, thou hast sent thy messaungers for men oute of farre countreyes: and when they came, thou hast bated, trimmed and set forth thy selfe of the best fashion: ⁴¹ thou sattest vpon a goodlye bed, & a table spred before the: whervpon thou hast set mine incense and myne oyle. ⁴² Then was there greate cheare with her, & the men that were sent from farre countreyes ouer the desert, vnto these they gaue bracelettes vpon their handes, and set glorious crounes vpon their heades: ⁴³ then thought I: no doute, these will vse their harlotry also wyth yonder old whore. ⁴⁴ And they wente into her, as vnto a comen harlot: Euen so wente they also to Oholah & Oholibah those fylthy wemen. ⁴⁵ O ye all that loue vertu & ryghteousnes, iudge them, punish them, as aduoutrers and murtherers ought to be iudged & punished. For they are breakers of wedlocke, and the bloude is in their handes. ⁴⁶ Wherfore thus sayeth the Lorde God: bringe a great multitude of people vpon them, & make them be scatred and spoyled: ⁴⁷ these shall stone them, & gore them with their swerdes. They shall slaye their sonnes and doughters and burne vp their houses with fyre. ⁴⁸ Thus will I destroye all such filthynes out of the land: that al wemen may learne, not to do after your vnclennesse. ⁴⁹ And so they shal lay your filthinesse vpon your owne selues, & ye shalbe punished for the sinnes, that ye haue committed with your Idols, & ye shall know that I am the Lorde.