📖 Ezekiel — Chapter 23 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
Ezekiel 23:1 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 23:2 Son of man, there were Rtwo women, the daughters of one mother:
Ezekiel 23:3 And they committed whoredoms Rin Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.
Ezekiel 23:4 And the names of them were Aholah Rthe elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.
Ezekiel 23:5 And RAholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,
Ezekiel 23:6 Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.
Ezekiel 23:7 Thus she RTcommitted her whoredoms with them, with all them that were Tthe chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself.
Ezekiel 23:8 Neither left she her Rwhoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.
Ezekiel 23:9 Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.
Ezekiel 23:10 These Rdiscovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became Tfamous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her.
Ezekiel 23:11 And when her sister Aholibah saw this, Tshe Rwas more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms Tmore than her sister in her whoredoms.
Ezekiel 23:12 She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, Rcaptains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men.
Ezekiel 23:13 Then I saw that she was defiled, Rthat they took both one way,
Ezekiel 23:14 And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with Rvermilion,
Ezekiel 23:15 Girded Rwith girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity:
Ezekiel 23:16 And RTas soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.
Ezekiel 23:17 And the RTBabylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was Talienated from them.
Ezekiel 23:18 So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: Rthen my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister.
Ezekiel 23:19 Yet she Rmultiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.
Ezekiel 23:20 For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.
Ezekiel 23:21 Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth.
Ezekiel 23:22 Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, RI will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side;
Ezekiel 23:23 The RBabylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them: all of them desirable young men, captains and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses.
Ezekiel 23:24 And they shall come against thee Rwith chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments.
Ezekiel 23:25 And RI will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.
Ezekiel 23:26 They shall also Rstrip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy Tfair jewels.
Ezekiel 23:27 Thus Rwill I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom brought from the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more.
Ezekiel 23:28 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of them Rwhom thou hatest, into the hand of them from whom thy mind is alienated:
Ezekiel 23:29 And they shall Rdeal with thee hatefully, and shall take away all thy labour, and shall leave thee naked and bare: and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be discovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
Ezekiel 23:30 I will do these things unto thee, because Rthou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols.
Ezekiel 23:31 Thou hast Rwalked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thine hand.
Ezekiel 23:32 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou shalt Rdrink of thy sister’s cup deep and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth much.
Ezekiel 23:33 Thou shalt be Rfilled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria.
Ezekiel 23:34 Thou shalt even Rdrink it and suck it out, and thou shalt break the sherds thereof, and pluck off thine own breasts: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 23:35 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; RBecause thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
Ezekiel 23:36 The LORD said moreover unto me; Son of man, Rwilt thou Tjudge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations;
Ezekiel 23:37 That Rthey have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.
Ezekiel 23:38 Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, Rand have profaned my sabbaths.
Ezekiel 23:39 For when they had slain their children to their idols, then Rthey came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.
Ezekiel 23:40 And furthermore, that Rye have sent for men Tto come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and, lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thyself with ornaments,
Ezekiel 23:41 And satest upon a RTstately bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oil.
Ezekiel 23:42 And Ra voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and with the men Tof the common sort were brought TSabeans from the wilderness, which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.
Ezekiel 23:43 Then said I unto her that was Rold in adulteries, Will they now commit Twhoredoms with her, and she with them?
Ezekiel 23:44 Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot: Rso went they in unto Aholah and unto Aholibah, the lewd women.
Ezekiel 23:45 And Rthe righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women that shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.
Ezekiel 23:46 For thus saith the Lord GOD; RI will bring up a company upon them, and will give them Tto be removed and spoiled.
Ezekiel 23:47 And Rthe company shall stone them with stones, and Tdispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.
Ezekiel 23:48 Thus will RI cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness.
Ezekiel 23:49 And Rthey shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols: and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
Ezekiel 23:1–17 — Two sisters picture Samaria and Jerusalem
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Aholah and Aholibah represent Samaria and Jerusalem through a stark allegory of unfaithful desire. The first sister pursues Assyria, while the second repeats and intensifies the pattern toward Assyria and Babylon.
Key Truth: Learn from a warning rather than repeating the betrayal.
Check What You Remember
1. Complete the KJV wording: “The ____ of the LORD came again unto me, saying,” (Ezekiel 23:1)
Find it in Ezekiel 23:1 (KJV).
2. Complete the KJV wording: “____ I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, …” (Ezekiel 23:9)
Find it in Ezekiel 23:9 (KJV).
3. Complete the KJV wording: “… Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate ____ than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister …” (Ezekiel 23:11)
Find it in Ezekiel 23:11 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Ezekiel 23:18–33 — Former lovers become instruments of loss
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Jerusalem turns again toward Egypt and then faces the powers she courted. Violence, stripping, and the cup of her sister portray the painful collapse of alliances and false loyalties.
Key Truth: Do not treat faithless alliances as lasting protection.
Check What You Remember
1. Complete the KJV wording: “So she ____ her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was …” (Ezekiel 23:18)
Find it in Ezekiel 23:18 (KJV).
2. Complete the KJV wording: “They shall also ____ thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair …” (Ezekiel 23:26)
Find it in Ezekiel 23:26 (KJV).
3. Complete the KJV wording: “Thou ____ be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of …” (Ezekiel 23:33)
Find it in Ezekiel 23:33 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Ezekiel 23:34–49 — Idols, sacrificed children, and a defiled sanctuary
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
The closing explanation names idolatry, child sacrifice, and profaning holy worship. Elaborate hospitality for other powers ends in judgment, exposing the seriousness beneath the sisters’ imagery.
Key Truth: Keep worship joined to faithful and life-preserving conduct.
Check What You Remember
1. Complete the KJV wording: “Thou ____ even drink it and suck it out, and thou shalt …” (Ezekiel 23:34)
Find it in Ezekiel 23:34 (KJV).
2. Complete the KJV wording: “And a ____ of a multitude being at ease was with her: and …” (Ezekiel 23:42)
Find it in Ezekiel 23:42 (KJV).
3. Complete the KJV wording: “And they shall ____ your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins …” (Ezekiel 23:49)
Find it in Ezekiel 23:49 (KJV).
Related Scripture (KJV)
Ezekiel 16:22 — The earlier allegory also exposes forgotten beginnings.
This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.
Reflect and Apply
What harmful pattern should another person’s experience warn you not to repeat?
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. Which summary best distinguishes Ezekiel 23:1–17 (Two sisters picture Samaria and Jerusalem) from the chapter’s other sections?
2. Which summary best distinguishes Ezekiel 23:18–33 (Former lovers become instruments of loss) from the chapter’s other sections?
3. Which summary best distinguishes Ezekiel 23:34–49 (Idols, sacrificed children, and a defiled sanctuary) from the chapter’s other sections?
4. How does the text identify the two symbolic sisters?
5. What contradiction compounds the people’s defilement?
Notes
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