Under the similitude of a wretched infant is shewed the natural state of Jerusalem.

1 ¶ Again the wordº of the LORDº came² unto² me, saying,ºª 2 Sonº of man,º cause² Jerusalemº to knowºª² her abominations,º 3 And say,ºª Thus² saithºª the Lordº GODº unto Jerusalem;º Thy birthº and thy nativityº [is] of the landº² of Canaan;º thy fatherº [was] an Amorite,º and thy motherº an Hittite.¹² 4 And [as for] thy nativity,º in the dayº thou wast bornºª thy navelº was not² cut,ºª neither² wast thou washedºª in waterº to suppleº [thee]; thou wast not² salted¹ª at all,ºª nor² swaddled¹ª at all.ºª 5 None² eyeº pitiedºª² thee, to doºª anyº of these²² unto thee, to have compassionºª upon² thee; but thou wast cast outºª in² the openº field,º to the lothingº of thy person,º in the dayº that thou wast born.ºª

God's extraordinary love towards her.

6 ¶ And when I passedºª by² thee, and sawºª thee pollutedºª in thine own blood,º I saidºª unto thee [when thou wast] in thy blood,º Live;ºª yea, I saidºª unto thee [when thou wast] in thy blood,º Live.ºª 7 I have causedºª thee to multiplyº as the budº of the field,º and thou hast increasedºª and waxen great,ºª and thou art comeºª to excellentº ornaments:º [thy] breastsº are fashioned,ºª and thine hairº is grown,ºª whereas thou² [wast] nakedº and bare.º 8 Now when I passedºª by² thee, and looked¹ª upon² thee, behold,² thy timeº [was] the timeº of love;º and I spreadºª my skirtº over² thee, and coveredºª thy nakedness:º yea, I swareºª unto thee, and enteredºª into a covenantº with² thee, saithºª the Lordº GOD,º and thou becamest² mine. 9 Then washedºª I thee with water;º yea, I throughly washed awayºª thy bloodº from²² thee, and I anointedºª thee with oil.º 10 I clothedºª thee also with broidered work,º and shodºª thee with badgers' skin,º and I girded¹ª thee about² with fine linen,º and I coveredºª thee with silk.º 11 I deckedºª thee also with ornaments,º and I putºª braceletsº upon² thy hands,º and a chainº on² thy neck.º 12 And I putºª a jewelº on² thy forehead,º and earringsº in² thine ears,º and a beautifulº crownº upon thine head.º 13 Thus wast thou deckedºª with goldº and silver;º and thy raimentº [was of] fine linen,ºª and silk,º and broidered work;º thou didst eatºª fine flour,º and honey,º and oil:º and thou wast exceeding¹ beautiful,ººª and thou didst prosperºª into a kingdom.º 14 And thy renownº went forthºª among the heathenº for thy beauty:º for² it² [was] perfectº through my comeliness,º which² I had putºª upon² thee, saithºª the Lordº GOD.º

Her monstrous whoredom.

15 ¶ But thou didst trustºª in thine own beauty,º and playedst the harlotºª because² of thy renown,º and pouredst outºª² thy fornicationsº on² every one² that passed by;ºª his it was.² 16 And of thy garmentsº² thou didst take,ºª and deckedstºª thy high placesº with divers colours,ºª and playedst the harlotºª thereupon:² [the like things] shall not² come,ºª neither² shall it be² [so]. 17 Thou hast also takenºª thy fairº jewelsº of my goldº² and of my silver,º² which² I had givenºª thee, and madestºª to thyself imagesº of men,º and didst commit whoredomºª with them, 18 And tookestºª thy broideredº² garments,º and coveredstºª them: and thou hast setºª mine oilº and mine incenseº beforeº them. 19 My meatº also which² I gaveºª thee, fine flour,º and oil,º and honey,º [wherewith] I fedºª thee, thou hast even setºª it beforeº them for a sweetº savour:º and [thus] it was,² saithºª the Lordº GOD.º 20 Moreover thou hast takenºª² thy sonsº and thy daughters,º whom² thou hast borneºª unto me, and these hast thou sacrificedºª unto them to be devoured.ºª [Is this] of² thy whoredomsº a small matter,º 21 That thou hast slainºª² my children,º and deliveredºª them to cause them to pass throughºª [the fire] for them? 22 And in all² thine abominationsº and thy whoredomsº thou hast not² rememberedºª² the daysº of thy youth,º when thou wast² nakedº and bare,º [and] wast² pollutedºª in thy blood.º 23 And it came to pass² afterº all² thy wickedness,º (woe,º woeº unto thee! saithºª the Lordº GOD;)º 24 [That] thou hast also builtºª unto thee an eminent place,º and hast madeºª thee an high placeº in every² street.º 25 Thou hast builtºª thy high placeº at² every² headº of the way,º and hast made² thy beautyº to be abhorred,ºª and hast openedºª² thy feetº to every one² that passed by,ºª and multipliedºª² thy whoredoms.º 26 Thou hast also committed fornicationºª with² the Egyptiansºº thy neighbours,º greatº of flesh;º and hast increasedºª² thy whoredoms,º to provoke me to anger.ºª 27 Behold,² therefore I have stretched outºª my handº over² thee, and have diminishedºª thine ordinaryº [food], and deliveredºª thee unto the willº of them that hateºª thee, the daughtersº of the Philistines,º which are ashamedºª of thy lewdº way.º² 28 Thou hast played the whoreºª also with² the Assyrians,ºº because¹ thou wast unsatiable;¹ª²²² yea, thou hast played the harlotºª with them, and yet² couldest not² be satisfied.¹² 29 Thou hast moreover multipliedºª² thy fornicationº in² the landº of Canaanº unto Chaldea;º and yet² thou wast not² satisfiedºª herewith.º 30 How² weakºª is thine heart,º saithºª the Lordº GOD,º seeing thou doestºª² all² these² [things], the workº of an imperiousº whorishºª woman;º 31 In that thou buildestºª thine eminent placeº in the headº of every² way,º and makestºª thine high placeº in every² street;º and hast not² been² as an harlot,ºª in that thou scornestºª hire;º 32 [But as] a wifeº that committeth adultery,ºª [which] takethºª² strangersºª instead² of her husband!º 33 They giveºª giftsº to all² whores:ºª but thou² givestºª² thy giftsº to all² thy lovers,ºª and hirestºª them, that they may comeºª unto² thee on every sideº² for thy whoredom.º 34 And the contraryº is² in thee from² [other] womenº in thy whoredoms,º whereas none² followethº thee to commit whoredoms:ºª and in that thou givestºª a reward,º and no² rewardº is givenºª unto thee, therefore thou artºª contrary.º

Her grievous judgment.

35 ¶ Wherefore,² O harlot,ºª hearºª the wordº of the LORD:º 36 Thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º Because² thy filthinessº was poured out,ºª and thy nakednessº discoveredºª through thy whoredomsº with² thy lovers,ºª and with² all² the idolsº of thy abominations,º and by the bloodº of thy children,º which² thou didst giveºª unto them; 37 Behold,² therefore² I will gatherºª² all² thy lovers,ºª with² whom² thou hast taken pleasure,ºª and all² [them] that² thou hast loved,ºª with² all² [them] that² thou hast hated;ºª I will even gatherºª them round aboutº² against² thee, and will discoverºª thy nakednessº unto² them, that they may seeºª² all² thy nakedness.º 38 And I will judgeºª thee, as women that break wedlockºª and shedºª bloodº are judged;º and I will giveºª thee bloodº in furyº and jealousy.º 39 And I will also giveºª thee into their hand,º and they shall throw downºª thine eminent place,º and shall break downºª thy high places:º they shall stripºª thee also of thy clothes,º and shall takeºª thy fairº jewels,º and leave¹ª² thee nakedº and bare.º 40 They shall also bring upºª a companyº against² thee, and they shall stoneºª thee with stones,º and thrust thee throughºª with their swords.º 41 And they shall burnºª thine housesº with fire,º and executeºª judgmentsº upon thee in the sightº of manyº women:º and I will cause thee to ceaseºª from playing the harlot,ºª² and thou also² shalt giveºª no² hireº any more.² 42 So will I make my furyº toward thee to rest,ºª and my jealousyº shall departºª from² thee, and I will be quiet,ºª and will be no² more² angry.ºª 43 Because²² thou hast not² rememberedºª² the daysº of thy youth,º but hast frettedºª me in all² these² [things]; behold,º therefore I² also² will recompenseºª thy wayº upon [thine] head,º saithºª the Lordº GOD:º and thou shalt not² commitºª² this lewdnessº above² all² thine abominations.º

Her sin, matching her mother, and exceeding her sisters, Sodom and Samaria, calleth for judgments.

44 ¶ Behold,² every one² that useth proverbsºª shall use [this] proverbºª against² thee, saying,ºª As [is] the mother,º [so is] her daughter.º 45 Thou² [art] thy mother'sº daughter,º that lothethºª her husbandº and her children;º and thou² [art] the sisterº of thy sisters,º which² lothedºª their husbands¹² and their children:º your motherº [was] an Hittite,¹² and your fatherº an Amorite.º 46 And thine elderº sisterº [is] Samaria,º she² and her daughtersº that dwellºª at² thy left hand:º and thy youngerº sister,º that dwellethºª at thy right hand,º² [is] Sodomº and her daughters.º 47 Yet hast thou not² walkedºª after their ways,º nor doneºª after their abominations:º but, as [if that were] a veryº littleº¹ª [thing], thou wast corruptedºª more than² they¹ in all² thy ways.º 48 [As] I² live,º saithºª the Lordº GOD,º Sodomº thy sisterº hath not² done,ºª she² nor her daughters,º as² thou hast done,ºª thou² and thy daughters.º 49 Behold,² this² was² the iniquityº of thy sisterº Sodom,º pride,º fulnessº of bread,º and abundanceº of idlenessºª was² in her and in her daughters,º neither² did she strengthenºª the handº of the poorº and needy.º 50 And they were haughty,ºª and committedºª abominationº beforeº me: therefore I took them awayºª² as² I sawºª [good]. 51 Neither² hath Samariaº committedºª halfº of thy sins;º but thou hast multipliedºª² thine abominationsº more than² they,¹ and hast justifiedºª² thy sistersº in all² thine abominationsº which² thou hast done.ºª 52 Thou² also,² which² hast judgedºª thy sisters,º bearºª thine own shameº for thy sinsº that² thou hast committed more abominableºª than² they:¹ they are more righteousºª than² thou: yea, be thou confoundedºª² also,² and bearºª thy shame,º in that thou hast justifiedºª thy sisters.º 53 When I shall bring againºª² their captivity,ºª² the captivityºª of Sodomº and her daughters,º and the captivityºª of Samariaº and her daughters,º then [will I bring again] the captivityºª of thy captivesº in the midstº of them: 54 That² thou mayest bearºª thine own shame,º and mayest be confoundedºª in all²² that² thou hast done,ºª in that thou art a comfortºª unto them. 55 When thy sisters,º Sodomº and her daughters,º shall returnºª to their former estate,º and Samariaº and her daughtersº shall returnºª to their former estate,º then thou² and thy daughtersº shall returnºª to your former estate.º 56 For thy sisterº Sodomº was² not² mentionedº by thy mouthº in the dayº of thy pride,º 57 Before² thy wickednessº was discovered,ºª as at² the timeº of [thy] reproachº of the daughtersº of Syria,º and all² [that are] round aboutº her, the daughtersº of the Philistines,º which despiseºª thee round about.º² 58 Thou² hast borneºª² thy lewdnessº and thine abominations,º saithºª the LORD.º 59 For² thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º I will even dealºª with² thee as² thou hast done,ºª which² hast despisedºª the oathº in breakingºª the covenant.º

Mercy is promised her in the end.

60 ¶ Nevertheless I² will rememberºª² my covenantº with² thee in the daysº of thy youth,º and I will establishºª unto thee an everlastingº covenant.º 61 Then thou shalt rememberºª² thy ways,º and be ashamed,ºª when thou shalt receiveºª² thy sisters,º thine elderº and thy younger:º and I will giveºª them unto thee for daughters,º but not² by thy covenant.º² 62 And I² will establishºª² my covenantº with² thee; and thou shalt knowºª that² I² [am] the LORD:º 63 That² thou mayest remember,ºª and be confounded,ºª and never² openº thy mouthº any more² becauseº² of thy shame,º when I am pacifiedºª toward thee for all² that² thou hast done,ºª saithºª the Lordº GOD.º