أورشليم الخائنة
1 وقالَ ليَ الرّبُّ: 2 يا ابنَ البشَرِ، أخبِرْ أُورُشليمَ بأعمالِها الرَّجسَةِ، 3 وقُلْ لها كلامَ السَّيِّدِ الرّبِّ: يا أُورُشليمُ! أصلُكِ وفصلُكِ مِنْ أرضِ الكنعانيِّينَ، وأبوكِ أموريّ وأمُّكِ حِثِّيَّةٌ. 4 يومَ وُلدْتِ لا أحدَ قطعَ سُرَّتَكِ، ولا غسَلَكِ بالماءِ لتنظِيفِكِ، ولا ملَّحَكِ بالمِلحِ، ولا لفَّكِ بالقِماطِ. 5 ما توجَّعَ علَيكِ أحدٌ ولا أشفقَ فعمِلَ لكِ شيئا مِنْ ذلِكَ، بل نُبِذتِ على وجهِ البرِّيَّةِ احتقارا لكِ يومَ وُلدْتِ.
6 «فمَررْتُ بكِ ورَأيتُكِ مُلطَّخةً بدمِكِ، فقُلتُ لكِ وأنتِ في دمِكِ عيشي، لا تموتي! 7 وانمي كنَبتِ الحقلِ. فنَمَوتِ وكَبُرتِ وبَلغْتِ سِنَ الزَّواجِ، فنَهدَ ثدياكِ ونبتَ شعرُكِ وأنتِ عريانةٌ مُتعرِّيةٌ.
8 «ومرَرْتُ بكِ ثانيةً ورَأيتُكِ ناضجةً للحبِّ، فبسَطْتُ طرفَ ثوبـي علَيكِ وسَترتُ عورَتكِ وحَلفْتُ لكِ ودخلتُ معَكِ في عَهدٍ، فصِرْتِ لي. 9 فغسَّلتُكِ بالماءِ ونقَّيتُكِ مِنْ دَمِكِ. ثُمَّ مَسحتُكِ بالزَّيتِ، 10 وألبَستُكِ ثوبا مُزخرفا وجَعلْتُ الجِلْدَ الفاخرَ نعلا لكِ والكتَّانَ وِشاحَكِ والحريرَ كِسْوتَكِ. 11 زيَّنتُكِ بالحُلي، ووضعْتُ أساوِرَ في يَديكِ وقِلادةً في عُنُقِكِ. 12 وخِزامةً في أنفِكِ وحلقا في أذنيكِ وإكليلَ جمالٍ على رأسِكِ. 13 فتحلَّيتِ بالذَّهبِ والفِضَّةِ وكانَ ملبوسُكِ الكتَّانَ والحريرَ والوشيَ، وأكلْتِ السَّميذَ المخلوطَ بالعسَلِ والزَّيتِ. وتناهيتِ في الجَمالِ إلى أنْ لاقَ بكِ المُلْكُ. 14 فذاعَ صيتُكِ في الأمَمِ لجمالِكِ الّذي اكتملَ ببهائي الّذي ألبستُكِ إيَّاهُ، يقولُ السَّيِّدُ الرّبُّ.
15 «فاتَّكلْتِ على جَمالِكِ وعلى اسمِكِ فزنيتِ، وأغْدقتِ فَواحشَكِ على كُلِّ عابرِ سبـيلٍ ومنحْتِ جَمالَكِ. 16 وأخذْتِ مِنْ ثيابِكِ، فزيَّنتِ لكِ معابدَ وزنيتِ فيها وهذا ما لا يجبُ أنْ يكونَ. 17 وأخذْتِ أدواتِ جَمالِكِ مِنْ ذهبـي وفِضَّتي الّتي أعطيتُها لكِ، فصنعْتِ لكِ تَماثيلَ ذُكُورٍ وزنيتِ بها. 18 وأخذْتِ ثيابَكِ الموشَّاةَ، فكسَوتِ تِلكَ التَّماثيلَ بها ووضعْتِ أمامَها زيتي وبَخوري 19 وخبزي الّذي أعطيتُهُ لكِ، والسَّميذَ المجبولَ بالزَّيتِ وبالعسَلِ الّذي أطعمْتُكِ، جعَلْتِها أمامَ التَّماثيلِ بَخورا طيِّبَ الرَّائحةِ، يقولُ السَّيِّدُ الرّبُّ. 20 وأخذْتِ بَنيكِ وبَناتِكِ الّذينَ ولَدْتِهِم لي، فذَبحْتِهِم للتَّماثيلِ طَعاما. أقليلٌ هذا مِنْ فَواحشِكِ؟ 21 أنْ تذبحي أبنَائي وتُسَلِّميهِم قُربانا في النَّارِ لها؟ 22 وفي جميعِ أرجاسِكِ وفَواحشِكِ ما ذكَرتِ أيّامَ صِباكِ، حينَ كُنتِ عُريانةً مُتعرِّيةً مُلطَّخَةً بدمِكِ؟
23 «ويلٌ لكِ، ويلٌ لكِ! يقولُ السَّيِّدُ الرّبُّ. فبَعدَ كُلِّ شَرِّكِ 24 بَنيتِ لكِ قُبَّةً وصنَعتِ مُرتفَعا في كُلِّ ساحةٍ. 25 في رأسِ كُلِّ شارعٍ بَنيتِ مُرتفَعَكِ ودنَّستِ جَمالَكِ، ووَهبْتِ جسَدَكِ لكُلِّ عابرٍ، وأكثرْتِ فَواحشَكِ. 26 وزنيتِ معَ بَني مِصْرَ جيرانِكِ الجِسامِ الأعضاءِ إمعانا في الفُحْشِ لتغيظيني. 27 فها أنا الآنَ أُعاقِبُكِ، وأستردُّ قِسما مِنَ الأرضِ الّتي أعطيتُكِ، وأُسلِّمُكِ إلى أهواءِ أعدائِكِ مُدُنِ الفلِسطيِّينَ اللَّواتي خَجِلْنَ مِنْ طريقِكِ الفاجرِ. 28 وما كفاكِ هذا. فزنيتِ معَ بَني أشُّورَ، زنيتِ معَهُم وما شبعْتِ. 29 وأكثرْتِ فَواحشَكِ معَ البابليِّينَ التُّجَّارِ، فما أشبعَكِ هذا أيضا.
30 «كم كُنتِ ضعيفةَ الإرادةِ، حتّى فعلْتِ هذا كُلَّهُ كامرأةٍ زانيةٍ وَقِحةٍ. 31 بَنيتِ قُبَّتكِ في رأسِ كُلِّ شارعٍ، وصنعْتِ لكِ مُرتفَعا في كُلِّ ساحةٍ، وما كُنتِ تَزنينَ بأجرةٍ، 32 بل كالمرأةِ الفاسقةِ الّتي تستَقبلُ الغُرَباءَ عِوَضَ زَوجِها. 33 كُلُّ الزَّواني يَنلْنَ هدايا، أمَّا أنتِ فأعطيتِ هداياكِ لجميعِ عُشَّاقِكِ، ورشَوتِهِم للمجيءِ إليكِ مِنْ كُلِّ صَوبٍ لمُضاجعتِكِ. 34 فكُنتِ في زِناكِ على خِلافِ النِّساءِ، لا يسعى أحدٌ وراءَكِ للزِّنى، وتُعطِينَ أجرةً ولا أجرةٌ تُعطَى لكِ. فكُنتِ إذا على خِلافِ النِّساءِ في الزِّنى.
35 «لذلِكَ أيَّتها الزَّانيةُ اسمعي كلِمَةَ الرّبِّ: 36 هكذا قالَ السَّيِّدُ الرّبُّ: بما أنَّكِ تعرَّيتِ مِنْ ثيابِكِ وكشفْتِ عَورَتكِ في زِناكِ معَ عُشَّاقِكِ ومعَ أصنامِكِ الرَّجسَةِ، ولأجلِ دماءِ بَنيكِ الّذينَ بذلْتِهِم لهذِهِ الأصنامِ، 37 فسأجمعُ كُلَّ عُشَّاقِكِ الّذين تلذَّذْتِ بهِم، مِمنْ أحببتِهِم أو أبغضتِهِم. أجمَعُهُم علَيكِ مِنْ كُلِّ صَوبٍ وأكشِفُ عَورتَكِ لهُم، فيرَونَ عَورَتكِ كُلَّها. 38 وأحكمُ علَيكِ بما يُحكَمُ على الفاسقاتِ وسافكاتِ الدِّماءِ، وأجعَلُكِ ضحيَّةَ غيظي وغَيرتي. 39 وأُسلِّمُكِ إلى أيدي عُشَّاقِكِ فيهدِمونَ قُبَّتَكِ ويُحطِّمونَ مُرتفَعَكِ ويَسلبونكِ ثِـيابَكِ ويأخذونَ حُلاكِ ويتركونَكِ عُريانةً مُتعرِّيةً. 40 ويُثيرونَ علَيكِ الجُموعَ، فيرجمونَكِ بالحجارةِ ويقطعونَكِ بسيوفِهِم، 41 ويُحرقونَ بـيوتَكِ بالنَّارِ ويُنفِّذونَ الحُكْمَ علَيكِ بمَشهدٍ مِنْ نساءٍ كثيراتٍ، فأمنعُكِ عنِ الزِّنى، ولا تُعطِينَ أجرةً مِنْ بَعدُ. 42 وأشفي غليلي مِنكِ، وتزولُ غَيرتي عَنكِ، فأهدأُ ولا أغضبُ مِنْ بَعدُ. 43 وبما أنَّكِ نَسيتِ ما فعَلْتُهُ لكِ في أيّامِ صِباكِ وأغضبتني في كُلِّ ما عمِلْتِهِ، فسأجلبُ على رأسِكِ عاقِبةَ سُلوكِكِ، يقولُ السَّيِّدُ الرّبُّ.
«أما ارتكبتِ الفَحشاءَ فَوقَ جميعِ أرجاسِكِ؟ 44 حتّى ليصدُق فيكِ المثَلُ القائلُ: كما الأمُّ، هكذا بِنتُها. 45 فأنتِ ابنَةُ أُمِّكِ الّتي عافَت زَوجَها وبَنيها، وأختُ أخواتِكِ اللَّواتي عِفنَ أزواجَهنَّ وبَنيهنَّ. أُمُّكنَّ حثِّيَّةٌ وأبوكُنَّ أموريٌّ. 46 فأختُكِ الكُبرى هيَ السَّامرةُ في الشِّمالِ معَ بَناتِها المُدُنِ، وأختُكِ الصُّغرى هيَ سدومُ في الجنوبِ معَ بَناتِها المُدُنِ. 47 وما اكتفيتِ بالسُّلوكِ في طرقِهِنَّ وارتكابِ مثلِ أرجاسِهِنَّ بل ما إنْ مضى قليلٌ مِنَ الوقتِ حتّى زِدتِ علَيهنَّ فسادا في جميعِ طُرقِكِ. 48 حَيٌّ أنا، يقولُ الرّبُّ الإلهُ، ما فعلَت سدومُ أختُكِ وبَناتُها مثلَ ما فعلتِ أنتِ وبَناتُكِ. 49 كانَ إثْمُ سدومَ أختِكِ العجرفةَ والتُّخمةَ والرَّخاءَ، وهذا ما صرَفَها هيَ وبناتُها عَنْ نُصرةِ البائسِ والمسكينِ 50 فتكبَّرنَ وعَمِلنَ الرِّجسَ أمامي، فأزلْتُهنَّ كما رأيتُ. 51 وما خَطِئتِ السَّامرةُ نِصفَ خطاياكِ، بل كُنتِ أكثرَ رِجسا مِنها ومِنْ بَناتِها، فجَعلْتِ أختَيكِ أبرَّ مِنكِ بسبَبِ كُلِّ تِلكَ الأرجاسِ الّتي فَعلْتِ. 52 فاحملي فَوقَ عارِكِ عارَ أختَيكِ اللَّتينِ جعَلتُهما أبرَّ مِنكِ بخطاياكِ الّتي فاقت خطاياهما رِجسا، فظهرتا أبرَّ مِنكِ. فاخجلي، إذا، واحملي العارَ الّذي غسلْتِ مِنهُ أُختَيكِ.
53 «سأُعيدُ أمجادَ سدومَ ومُدُنَها وأمجادَ السَّامرةِ ومُدُنَها، ثُمَّ أُعيدُ أمجادَكِ بَينَهنَّ، 54 لتحملي عارَكِ وتخجلي مِنْ كُلِّ ما فعلْتِ حتّى جلبْتِ لهُنَّ العزاءَ. 55 فأُختاكِ وبَناتُهُما يَعُدْنَ إلى أيّامِهِنَّ القديمةِ، وأنتِ وبَناتُكِ تَعُدنَ إلى أيّامِكُنَّ القديمةِ. 56 وسدومُ أختُكِ كُنتِ تَذكُرينها باحتقارٍ يومَ تكبُّرِكِ، 57 وقبلَ أنْ ينكشِفَ شَرُّكِ! والآنَ فأنتِ مِثلَها، تُعيِّرُكِ مُدُنُ أدومَ ومُدُنُ الفلِسطيِّينَ وجميعُ جيرانِكِ اللَّواتي يَحتقرْنَكِ. 58 فحملْتِ نتيجةَ فُجورِكِ وأرجاسِكِ، يقولُ الرّبُّ.
59 «لأنَّهُ هكذا قالَ السَّيِّدُ الرّبُّ: سأَفعلُ بكِ كما فعلْتِ حينَ احتقرْتِ قسَمَكِ ونقضْتِ العَهدَ. 60 أمَّا أنا فأذكرُ عَهدي معَكِ في أيّامِ صِباكِ وأُقيمُ لكِ عَهدا أبديًّا. 61 عِندَ ذلِكَ تذكرينَ أنتِ طُرقَكِ وتَخجلينَ حينَ أرضى عَنْ أُختَيكِ اللَّتينِ هما أكبرُ مِنكِ، وعَنِ اللَّواتي هُنَّ أصغرُ مِنكِ، فأَجعَلُهُنَّ لكِ بَناتٍ، ولكنْ لا يكونُ عَهدي معَهُنَّ كعَهدي مَعكِ. 62 وأُجدِّدُ عَهدي مَعكِ، فتعلَمينَ أنِّي أنا الرّبُّ، 63 حتّى تـتذكَّري وتشعُري بِالخزي ولا تفتحي فَمكِ مِنْ بَعدُ لعارِكِ، حينَ أغفِرُ لكِ جميعَ ما فعلْتِ، يقولُ السَّيِّدُ الرّبُّ».
Jerusalem the Unfaithful
1 The Lord spoke to me again. 2 “Mortal man,” he said, “point out to Jerusalem what disgusting things she has done. 3 Tell Jerusalem what the Sovereign Lord is saying to her:
“You were born in the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. 4 When you were born, no one cut your umbilical cord or washed you or rubbed you with salt or wrapped you in cloths. 5 No one took enough pity on you to do any of these things for you. When you were born, no one loved you. You were thrown out in an open field.
6 “Then I passed by and saw you squirming in your own blood. You were covered with blood, but I wouldn't let you die. 7 I made you grow like a healthy plant. You grew strong and tall and became a young woman. Your breasts were well-formed, and your hair had grown, but you were naked.
8 “As I passed by again, I saw that the time had come for you to fall in love. I covered your naked body with my coat and promised to love you. Yes, I made a marriage covenant with you, and you became mine.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says.
9 “Then I took water and washed the blood off you. I rubbed olive oil on your skin. 10 I dressed you in embroidered gowns and gave you shoes of the best leather, a linen headband, and a silk cloak. 11 I put jewels on you—bracelets and necklaces. 12 I gave you a nose ring and earrings and a beautiful crown to wear. 13 You had ornaments of gold and silver, and you always wore clothes of embroidered linen and silk. You ate bread made from the best flour, and had honey and olive oil to eat. Your beauty was dazzling, and you became a queen. 14 You became famous in every nation for your perfect beauty, because I was the one who made you so lovely.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says.
15 “But you took advantage of your beauty and fame to sleep with everyone who came along. 16 You used some of your clothes to decorate your places of worship, and just like a prostitute, you gave yourself to everyone. 17 You took the silver and gold jewelry that I had given you, used it to make male images, and committed adultery with them. 18 You took the embroidered clothes I gave you and put them on the images, and you offered to the images the olive oil and incense I had given you. 19 I gave you food—the best flour, olive oil, and honey—but you offered it as a sacrifice to win the favor of idols.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says.
20 “Then you took the sons and the daughters you had borne me and offered them as sacrifices to idols. Wasn't it bad enough to be unfaithful to me, 21 without taking my children and sacrificing them to idols? 22 During your disgusting life as a prostitute you never once remembered your childhood—when you were naked, squirming in your own blood.”
Jerusalem's Life as a Prostitute
23 The Sovereign Lord said, “You are doomed! Doomed! You did all that evil, and then 24 by the side of every road you built places to worship idols and practice prostitution. 25 You dragged your beauty through the mud. You offered yourself to everyone who came by, and you were more of a prostitute every day. 26 You let your lustful neighbors, the Egyptians, go to bed with you, and you used your prostitution to make me angry.
27 “Now I have raised my hand to punish you and to take away your share of my blessing. I have handed you over to the Philistines, who hate you and are disgusted with your immoral actions.
28 “Because you were not satisfied by the others, you went running after the Assyrians. You were their prostitute, but they didn't satisfy you either. 29 You were also a prostitute for the Babylonians, that nation of merchants, but they didn't satisfy you either.”
30 This is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: “You have done all this like a shameless prostitute. 31 On every street you built places to worship idols and practice prostitution. But you are not out for money like a common prostitute. 32 You are like a woman who commits adultery with strangers instead of loving her husband. 33 A prostitute is paid, but you gave presents to all your lovers and bribed them to come from everywhere to sleep with you. 34 You are a special kind of prostitute. No one forced you to become one. You didn't get paid; you paid them! Yes, you are different.”
God's Judgment on Jerusalem
35 Now then, Jerusalem, you whore! Hear what the Lord is saying.
36 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “You stripped off your clothes, and like a prostitute, you gave yourself to your lovers and to all your disgusting idols, and you killed your children as sacrifices to idols. 37 Because of this I will bring all your former lovers together—the ones you liked and the ones you hated. I will bring them around you in a circle, and then I will strip off your clothes and let them see you naked. 38 I will condemn you for adultery and murder, and in my anger and fury I will punish you with death. 39 I will put you in their power, and they will tear down the places where you engage in prostitution and worship idols. They will take away your clothes and jewels and leave you completely naked.
40 “They will stir up a crowd to stone you, and they will cut you to pieces with their swords. 41 They will burn your houses down and let crowds of women see your punishment. I will make you stop being a prostitute and make you stop giving gifts to your lovers. 42 Then my anger will be over, and I will be calm. I will not be angry or jealous any more. 43 You have forgotten how I treated you when you were young, and you have made me angry by all the things you did. That is why I have made you pay for them all. Why did you add sexual immorality to all the other disgusting things you did?” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.
Like Mother, Like Daughter
44 The Lord said, “People will use this proverb about you, Jerusalem: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ 45 You really are your mother's daughter. She detested her husband and her children. You are like your sisters, who hated their husbands and their children. You and your sister cities had a Hittite mother and an Amorite father.
46 “Your older sister, with her villages, is Samaria, in the north. Your younger sister, with her villages, is Sodom, in the south. 47 Were you satisfied to follow in their footsteps and copy their disgusting actions? No, in only a little while you were acting worse than they were in everything you did.
48 “As surely as I am the living God,” the Sovereign Lord says, “your sister Sodom and her villages never did the evil that you and your villages have done. 49 She and her daughters were proud because they had plenty to eat and lived in peace and quiet, but they did not take care of the poor and the underprivileged. 50 They were proud and stubborn and did the things that I hate, so I destroyed them, as you well know.
51 “Samaria did not sin half as much as you have. You have acted more disgustingly than she ever did. Your corruption makes your sisters look innocent by comparison. 52 And now you will have to endure your disgrace. Your sins are so much worse than those of your sisters that they look innocent beside you. Now blush and bear your shame, because you make your sisters look pure.”
Sodom and Samaria Will Be Restored
53 The Lord said to Jerusalem, “I will make them prosperous again—Sodom and her villages and Samaria and her villages. Yes, I will make you prosperous too. 54 You will be ashamed of yourself, and your disgrace will show your sisters how well-off they are. 55 They will become prosperous again, and you and your villages will also be restored. 56 Didn't you joke about Sodom in those days when you were proud 57 and before the evil you did had been exposed? Now you are just like her—a joke to the Edomites, the Philistines, and your other neighbors who hate you. 58 You must suffer for the obscene, disgusting things you have done.” The Lord has spoken.
A Covenant That Lasts Forever
59 The Sovereign Lord says, “I will treat you the way you deserve, because you ignored your promises and broke the covenant. 60 But I will honor the covenant I made with you when you were young, and I will make a covenant with you that will last forever. 61 You will remember how you have acted, and be ashamed of it when you get your older sister and your younger sister back. I will let them be like daughters to you, even though this was not part of my covenant with you. 62 I will renew my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. 63 I will forgive all the wrongs you have done, but you will remember them and be too ashamed to open your mouth.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.