The. holie. Bible. conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe.

The .xxiii. Chapter.

4 Of the fornication, that is to say, of the idolatrie of Samaria and Hierusalem, vnder the name of Aholah and Aholibah. 11 In comparison of Samaria, he sheweth that the fornication of Hierusalem is the filthier. 22 The destruction of Hierusalem is prophecied. 36 The adulterie of both the whores is founde out. 47 Their destruction.

[unspec A] 1 THe worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying:

2 Thou sonne of man, there were two wo∣men the daughters of (a) 1.1one mother.

3 And they committed fornication in (b) 1.2 Egypt, they played the harlottes in their youth: there were their breastes pressed, and there they bruised the tea••es of their virginitie.

4 The (c) 1.3 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.

5 Aholah played y^e harlot (d) 1.4 when she was "mine, and she was set on fire with her louers the Assyrians her neighbours:

6 Which were clothed with blewe silke, [both] captaynes and princes, they were all pleasaunt young men, and horsemen rydyng vpon horses.

7 Thus 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.

[unspec B] 8 Neither left she the fornication that she vsed with the Egyptians: for in her youth they (c) 1.5 lay with her, they bruised the brestes of her maydenhead, and powred their whordome vpon her.

9 Wherfore I deliuered her into the handes of her louers [euen] into y^e handes of the Assyrians vpon whom she doted.

10 These discouered her shame, toke her sonnes & daughters, and slue her with the sworde, an euyll name had she a∣mong women: for (f) 1.6 they had executed iudgement vpon her.

11 Her sister Aholibah sawe this, and de∣stroyed her selfe with inordinate loue more then she, & with her fornications, more thē her sister with her fornications.

12 She doted vpō the Assyrians captaines & princes her neighbours, clothed with all maner of gorgious apparel, horsmen riding vpon horses, beyng all pleasaunt young men.

13 Then I sawe that she was defiled, and they toke both one way.

[unspec C] 14 But she encreased styll in whordome: for when she sawe (g) 1.7 men paynted vpon the wall, the images of the Chaldees paynted with vermilon,

15 And 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.

16 Assoone as she sawe them, she burnt in loue vpon them, & sent messengers vn∣to them into the lande of the Chaldees.

17 Nowe 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.

18 And she discouered her whordome, and disclosed her shame: then my heart for∣soke her, like as my heart was gone from her sister also.

19 Neuerthelesse, she encreased her whordome more, and remembred the dayes of her youth wherin she had played the harlot in the lande of Egypt.

20 She burnt in lust vpon their concu∣bines, whose fleshe was like the fleshe of asses, and their issue like the issue of horses.

21 Thus thou hast called to remēbraunce the filthinesse of thy youth, when thy teates were bruised by the Egyptians, for the pappes of thy youth.

22 Therfore O Aholibah, thus saith the [unspec D] 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,

23 [Namely] the Babylonians and all the Chaldees, rulers, wealthy and mightie men, with all the Assyrians, all pleasaūt young men, captaynes and princes, all valiaunt and renowmed, riding vpon horses.

24 These shall come vpon thee with charrettes, wagons, and wheeles, and great multitude of people, with buckler, shielde, and helmet they shall beset thee on euery side: “ 1.8 I wyll geue iudgement before them, yea they them selues shall iudge thee accordyng to their owne iudgement.

25 I 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.

26 They shal strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy faire iewels.

27 Thus 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.

28 For 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.

29 And they shall deale hatefully with thee, and take away all thy (h) 1.9 labour, & leaue thee naked & bare, and the shame of thy fornications (i) 1.10 shalbe discouered, both thy wickednesse & thy whordome.

30 I wyll do these thynges vnto thee, be∣cause thou hast gone a whoryng after the heathen, and because thou art pol∣luted with their idols.

31 Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister, therfore wyll I geue her cuppe in thine hande.

32 Thus 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.

33 Thou shalt be filled with (k) 1.11 drunken∣nesse and sorowe [euen] with the cup of destruction and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria.

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

[unspec E] 35 Therfore 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.

36 The Lorde sayde moreouer vnto me, Thou sonne of man, wilt thou not iudge Aholah and Aholibah? shewe them their abhominations.

37 [Namely] that they haue broken their wedlocke, and blood is in their handes: and with their idols haue they cōmitted adulterie, and haue also caused their sonnes whom they bare vnto me, to passe [by the fire] to be their (l) 1.12 meate.

38 Yea and this haue they done vnto me also, they haue defiled my sanctuarie in the same day, and haue prophaned my Sabbathes.

39 For when they had slayne their chil∣dren for their idols, they came the same day into my sanctuarie to defile it: and lo thus haue they done in my house.

40 And howe much more [is it] that they sent for men to come from (m) 1.13 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.

41 Thou sattest vpon a stately bed, and a [unspec F] (n) 1.14table spread before it, whervpon thou hast set mine insence and mine oyle.

42 And a noyse of a mery company at “ 1.15 it, and with the men, beside the multitude of the people, were brought men of Sa∣ba out of the desert, which gaue them bracelettes vpon their handes, and beautifull crownes vpon their heades.

43 And I sayd vnto her that was worne in her adulteries, Nowe shall her forni∣cations come to an ende, and she also.

44 And they went in to her as they go vn∣to a common harlot: euen so went they [I say] to Aholah and Aholibah, those wicked women.

45 And the righteous men, they shall iudge thē after the maner of * 1.16 harlottes, and after the maner of murtherers: for they are harlottes, and blood is in their handes.

46 Wherfore thus saith the Lorde God, I wyll bryng a great multitude of peo∣ple vpon them, and geue them to be scat∣tered and spoyled:

47 And 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.

48 Thus wyll I cause wickednesse to ceasse out of the lande, that all (o) 1.17 women may be taught, not to do after your wic∣kednesse.

49 And 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.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  Meanyng Israel and Iuda which came both out of one familie.
• (b) 1.2

  They be∣came idola∣tours after the maner of the Egyptians.
• (c) 1.3

  Aholah signifieth a mansion or dwellyng in her selfe, mea∣nyng Sama∣ria, which was the royal citie of Israel, and Aholibah signifieth ••y mansion in her, wherby is ment Hierusalem, where Gods temple was.
• (d) 1.4

  or, Vnder me, that is, vnder my go∣uernaunce, & named the people of god, they became idolaters, for∣soke God, and put their trust in the Assy∣rians.
• (c) 1.5

  The holy ghost vseth these tearmes which seeme straunge to chaste eares to cause this wicked vi••e of idolatrie so to be abhorred, that vnn••th any shoulde abyde ••o heare the name ther∣of mentioned.
• (f) 1.6

  That is, the Assyrians, mo•••• plagyng them.
• (g) 1.7

  This de∣clareth that no wordes are able suffici∣ently to ex∣presse y^e rage of idolaters, & therfore the holy ghost here compareth them to those which in their ragyng loue & filthy lustes dote vpon the images and payntynges of them after whom they 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• “ 1.8

  Or, I wyll leaue the punishment vnto them
• (h) 1.9

  All the treasures and riches which thou hast got∣ten by labour.
• (i) 1.10

  All the worlde shall see thy shame∣full forsakyng of God to serue idols.
• (k) 1.11

  Mean••ng that the afflic∣••ions shoulde be so great, that they shoulde cause them to loose their sences and reason.
• (l) 1.12

  That is, to be sacrifices to their idols. Read. Ezech. xvi. c.
• (m) 1.13

  They sent into other countreis to haue such as shoulde teache them the ser∣uice of their idols.
• (n) 1.14

  He mea∣neth t••e aul∣ter that was prepared for the idols.
• “ 1.15

  Or, the table.
• * 1.16

  Eze. xvi. d.
• (o) 1.17

  Meanyng all other cities and countreis.