Study Desk

The older one was named Oholah (she represents Samaria), and the younger one was named Oholibah (she represents Jerusalem). I married both of them, and they bore me children.

They were soldiers in uniforms of purple, noblemen and high-ranking officers; all of them were handsome young cavalry officers.

They stripped her naked, seized her sons and daughters, and then killed her with a sword. Women everywhere gossiped about her fate.

The Babylonians came to have sex with her. They used her and defiled her so much that finally she became disgusted with them.

They will attack you from the north, bringing a large army with chariots and supply wagons. Protected by shields and helmets, they will surround you. I will hand you over to them, and they will judge you by their own laws.

Because I am angry with you, I will let them deal with you in their anger. They will cut off your nose and your ears and kill your children. Yes, they will take your sons and daughters from you and burn them alive.

They will tear off your clothes and take your jewels.

And because they hate you, they will take away everything you have worked for and leave you stripped naked, exposed like a prostitute. Your lust and your prostitution

The Lord said to me, "Mortal man, are you ready to judge Oholah and Oholibah? Accuse them of the disgusting things they have done.

They have committed adultery and murder—adultery with idols and murder of the children they bore me. They sacrificed my children to their idols.

And that is not all they did. They profaned my Temple and broke the Sabbath, which I had established.

The very day that they killed my children as sacrifices to idols, they came to my Temple and profaned it!

"Again and again they sent messengers to invite men to come from a great distance, and the men came. The two sisters would bathe and put on eye shadow and jewelry.

They would sit on a beautiful couch, and in front of them they would have a table covered with good things, including the incense and the olive oil that I had given them.

The sound of a carefree crowd could be heard, a group of men brought in from the desert. They put bracelets on the women's arms and beautiful crowns on their heads.

And I said to myself that they were using as a prostitute a woman worn out by adultery.

They went back to these prostitutes again and again. They went back to Oholah and Oholibah, those immoral women.

Righteous men will condemn them on the charge of adultery and murder, because they practice adultery and their hands are stained with blood."

The Lord said, "Now, mortal man, I will take away from them the strong Temple that was their pride and joy, which they liked to look at and to visit. And I will take away their sons and daughters.

That same day you will get back the power of speech which you had lost, and you will talk with them. In this way you will be a sign to the people, and they will know that I am the Lord ."