EZEKIEL Chapter 16

An Allegory Of Unfaithful Jerusalem

The Word of the Lord came to me:

2 'Son of man, Confront Jerusalem

With her Detestable Practices and say,

3 'THIS IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS TO JERUSALEM:

Your Ancestry and Birth were in the land of the Canaanites;

Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

4 On the day you were born your cord was not cut,

Nor were you washed with water to make you clean,

Nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped win clothe.

5 No one looked on you with pity

Or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you.

RATHER YOU WERE THROWN INTO THE OPEN FIELD,

FOR ON THE DAY YOU WERE BORN YOU WERE DESPISED.

6 'THEN I PASSED BY

AND SAW YOU KICKING ABOUT IN YOUR BLOOD,

AND AS YOU LAY THERE IN YOUR BLOOD I SAID TO YOU, 'LIVE!'

7 I made you grow like a plant of the field.

YOU GREW UP AND DEVELOPED

AND BECAME THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF JEWELS.

Your breasts were formed and your hair grew,

YOU WHO WERE NAKED AND BARE.

8 'Later I passed by,

And when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for Love,

I SPREAD THE CORNER OF MY GARMENT OVER YOU

AND COVERED YOUR NAKEDNESS.

I GAVE YOU MY SOLEMN OATH

AND ENTERED INTO A COVENANT WITH YOU,

DECLARES THE SOVEREIGN LORD,

AND YOU BECAME MINE.

9 'I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you

And put ointments on you.

10 I clothed you with an embroidered dress

And put leather sandals on you.

I covered you with costly garments.

11 I Adorned you with jewelry:

I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck,

12 And I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears

AND A BEAUTIFUL CROWN ON YOUR HEAD.

13 So you were adorned with gold and silver;

Your clothes were of fine linen

And costly fabric and embroidered cloth.

Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil.

YOU BECAME VERY BEAUTIFUL AND ROSE TO BE A QUEEN.

14 AND YOUR FAME SPREAD AMONG THE NATIONS

ON ACCOUNT OF YOUR BEAUTY,

BECAUSE OF THE SPLENDOR I HAD GIVEN YOU

MADE YOUR BEAUTY PERFECT,

DECLARES THE SOVEREIGN LORD.

15 '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.

16 You took some of your garments

To make Gaudy High Places,

WHERE YOU CARRIED ON YOUR PROSTITUTION.

SUCH THINGS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN,

NOR SHOULD THEY EVER OCCUR.

17 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.

18 And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them,

And you offered My oil and incense before them.

19 Also the food I provided for you--

The fine flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat--

YOU OFFERED AS FRAGRANT INCENSE BEFORE THEM.

THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED, DECLARES THE SOVEREIGN LORD.

20 '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

22 IN ALL YOUR DETESTABLE PRACTICES AND YOUR PROSTITUTION

YOU DID NOT REMEMBER THE DAYS OF YOUR YOUTH,

WHEN YOU WERE NAKED AND BARE,

KICKING ABOUT IN YOUR BLOOD.

(Ezekiel 16:1-22)

Realize that this is the Story of America.

America has repeated the Downfall of Jerusalem.