The Two Adulterous Sisters

1The worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying: 2Thou sonne of man, there were two women the daughters of one mother. 3And they committed fornication in Egypt, they played the harlottes in their youth: there were their breastes pressed, and there they bruised the teates of their virginitie. 4The names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister, and they were mine, and they bare sonnes and daughters: thus were their names, Samaria is Aholah, and Hierusalem Aholibah.

5Aholah played ye harlot when she was mine, and she was set on fire with her louers the Assyrians her neighbours: 6Which were clothed with blewe silke, both captaynes and princes, they were all pleasaunt young men, and horsemen rydyng vpon horses. 7Thus she committed her whordome with them beyng all chosen men of Asshur, & with all on whom she doted, and defiled her selfe with all their idols. 8Neither left she the fornication that she vsed with the Egyptians: for in her youth they lay with her, they bruised the brestes of her maydenhead, and powred their whordome vpon her. 9Wherfore I deliuered her into the handes of her louers euen into ye handes of the Assyrians vpon whom she doted. 10These discouered her shame, toke her sonnes & daughters, and slue her with the sworde, an euyll name had she among women: for they had executed iudgement vpon her.

11Her sister Aholibah sawe this, and destroyed her selfe with inordinate loue more then she, & with her fornications, more the her sister with her fornications. 12She doted vpo the Assyrians captaines & princes her neighbours, clothed with all maner of gorgious apparel, horsmen riding vpon horses, beyng all pleasaunt young men. 13Then I sawe that she was defiled, and they toke both one way. 14But the encreased styll in whordome: for when she sawe men paynted vpon the wall, the images of the Chaldees paynted with vermilon, 15And girded with girdles vpon their loynes and with dyed attire vpon their heades, lokyng all like princes, after the maner of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the lande where they were borne. 16Assoone as she sawe them, she burnt in loue vpon them, & sent messengers vnto them into the lande of the Chaldees. 17Nowe when the Babylonians came vnto her in the bed of loue, they defiled her with their whordome: and so was she polluted with them, and her lust was abated from them. 18And she discouered her whordome, and disclosed her shame: then my heart forsoke her, like as my heart was gone from her sister also. 19Neuerthelesse, she encreased her whordome more, and remembred the dayes of her youth wherin she had played the harlot in the lande of Egypt. 20She burnt in lust vpon their concubines, whose fleshe was like the fleshe of asses, and their issue like the issue of horses. 21Thus thou hast called to remebraunce the filthinesse of thy youth, when thy teates were bruised by the Egyptians, for the pappes of thy youth.

Oholibah to Be Plagued

22Therfore O Aholibah, thus saith the Lorde God, I wyll raise vp thy louers agaynst thee from whom thy heart is departed, and gather them together agaynst thee on euery syde, 23namely the Babylonians and all the Chaldees, rulers, wealthy and mightie men, with all the Assyrians, all pleasaut young men, captaynes and princes, all valiaunt and renowmed, riding vpon horses. 24These shall come vpon thee with charrettes, wagons, and wheeles, and great multitude of people, with buckler, shielde, and helmet they shall beser thee on euery side: I wyll geue iudgement before them, yea they them selues shall iudge thee accordyng to their owne iudgement. 25I wyll lay mine indignation vpon thee, so that they shal deale cruelly with thee: they shall cut of thy nose and thine eares, and thy remnaunt shall fall by the sworde, they shall cary away thy sonnes and daughters, and the residue shalbe deuoured by the fire. 26They shal strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy faire iewels. 27Thus wyll I make thy wickednesse to ceasse from thee, and thy fornication out of the lande of Egypt: so that thou shalt turne thine eyes no more after them, and cast thy mynde no more vpon Egypt. 28For thus saith the Lord God, Beholde I wyll deliuer thee into the handes of them whom thou hatest, yea euen into the handes of them from whom thine heart is departed. 29And they shall deale hatefully with thee, and take away all thy labour, & leaue thee naked & bare, and the shame of thy fornications shalbe discouered, both thy wickednesse & thy whordome. 30I wyll do these thynges vnto thee, because thou hast gone a whoryng after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols. 31Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister, therfore wyll I geue her cuppe in thine hande.

32Thus saith the Lorde God, Thou shalt drynke of thy sisters cuppe, deepe & large, thou shalt be laughed to scorne, and had in derision, because it conteineth much.

33Thou shalt be filled with drunkennesse and sorowe euen with the cup of destruction and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria.

34Thou shalt drynke it and sucke it out, and thou shalt breake the sheardes therof, and teare thine owne brestes: for I haue spoken it, saith the Lorde God.

35Therfore thus saith the Lorde God, Forasmuch as thou hast forgotten me, and cast me aside behynde thy backe, so beare nowe thine owne wickednesse and whordome.

Judgment on Both Sisters

36The Lorde sayde moreouer vnto me, Thou sonne of man, wilt thou not iudge Aholah and Aholibah? shewe them their abhominations. 37namely that they haue broken their wedlocke, and blood is in their handes: and with their idols haue they comitted adulterie, and haue also caused their sonnes whom they bare vnto me, to passe by the fire to be their meate. 38Yea and this haue they done vnto me also, they haue defiled my sanctuarie in the same day, and haue prophaned my Sabbathes. 39For when they had slayne their children for their idols, they came the same day into my sanctuarie to defile it: and lo thus haue they done in my house.

40And howe much more is it that they sent for men to come from farre, vnto whom a messenger was sent, and lo they came? for whom thou didst washe thy selfe, and paynted thine eyes, and deckedst thee with ornamentes. 41Thou sattest vpon a stately bed, and a table spread before it, whervpon thou hast set mine incense and mine sylc. 42And a noyse of a mery company at it, and with the men, beside the multitude of the people, were brought men of Saba out of the desert, which gaue them bracelettes vpon their handes, and beautifull crownes vpon their heades.

43And I sayd vnto her that was worne in her adulteries, Nowe shall her fornications come to an ende, and she also. 44And they went in to her as they go vnto a common harlot: euen so went they I say to Aholah and Aholibah, those wicked women. 45And the righteous men, they shall iudge the after the maner of harlottes, and after the maner of murtherers: for they are harlottes, and blood is in their handes.

46Wherfore thus saith the Lorde God, I wyll bryng a great multitude of people vpon them, and geue them to be scattered and spoyled: 47And the multitude shall stone them with stones, and cut them downe with their swordes, they shall slay their sonnes and daughters, and burne vp their houses with fire. 48Thus wyll I cause wickednesse to ceasse out of the lande, that all women may be taught, not to do after your wickednesse. 49And so they shal lay your wickednesse vpon your owne selues, and the sinnes of your idols shall ye beare: and ye shall knowe that I am the Lorde God.