Holman Christian Standard Bible

Ezekiel 16:5-23 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

5. No one cared enough about you to do even one of these things out of compassion for you. But you were thrown out into the open field because you were despised on the day you were born.

6. “I passed by you and saw you lying in your blood, and I said to you as you lay in your blood: Live! Yes, I said to you as you lay in your blood: Live!

7. I made you thrive like plants of the field. You grew up and matured and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, but you were stark naked.

8. “Then I passed by you and saw you, and you were indeed at the age for love. So I spread the edge of My garment over you and covered your nakedness. I pledged Myself to you, entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

9. “I washed you with water, rinsed off your blood, and anointed you with oil.

10. I clothed you in embroidered cloth and provided you with leather sandals. I also wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk.

11. I adorned you with jewelry, putting bracelets on your wrists and a chain around your neck.

12. I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful tiara on your head.

13. So you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was made of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You became extremely beautiful and attained royalty.

14. Your fame spread among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor, which I had bestowed on you.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

15. “But you were confident in your beauty and acted like a prostitute because of your fame. You lavished your sexual favors on everyone who passed by. Your beauty became his.

16. You took some of your garments and made colorful high places for yourself, and you engaged in prostitution on them. These places should not have been built, and this should never have happened!

17. You also took your beautiful jewelry made from the gold and silver I had given you, and you made male images so that you could engage in prostitution with them.

18. Then you took your embroidered garments to cover them, and set My oil and incense before them.

19. You also set before them as a pleasing aroma the food I gave you — the fine flour, oil, and honey that I fed you. That is what happened.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

20. “You even took your sons and daughters you bore to Me and sacrificed them to these images as food. Wasn’t your prostitution enough?

21. You slaughtered My children and gave them up when you passed them through the fire to the images.

22. In all your detestable practices and acts of prostitution, you did not remember the days of your youth when you were stark naked and lying in your blood.

23. “Then after all your evil — Woe, woe to you! ” — the declaration of the Lord God —