Billedtale om Samarias og Jerusalems utroskab
1Herren sagde til mig: 2-3„Du menneske, der var engang to søstre, der fra deres tidligste ungdom levede som prostituerede i Egypten. Dér krammede og knugede man deres jomfruelige bryster. 4Storesøsteren hed Ohola og lillesøsteren Oholiba. De symboliserer Samaria og Jerusalem.23,4 De to navne, der betyder „hendes telt” og „mit telt er i hende”, hentyder til, at Jerusalem havde Herrens helligdom/telt, mens Samaria havde sin egen helligdom. Hovedstæderne står symbolsk for Nordriget og Sydriget.
Jeg giftede mig med dem begge, og de fødte mig sønner og døtre. 5Men Ohola var mig utro og blev forgabt i assyrerne, 6for deres officerer og stormænd var utrolig flotte med purpurfarvede klæder og prægtige heste. 7Hun horede med Assyriens fornemste mænd og dyrkede uhæmmet deres afguder. 8Allerede da hun var i Egypten, var hun utro imod mig og gav sig hen til afguderne der. Desværre holdt hun fast ved sin utroskab, selv efter at hun havde forladt Egypten.
9Derfor lagde jeg hendes skæbne i assyrernes hænder. Hendes elskere kunne nu gøre med hende, hvad de ville. 10Som straf ydmygede de hende ved at rive tøjet af hende og gøre hendes børn til slaver. Derpå blev hun slået ned med sværdet, og de andre kvinder hånede hende for den skændsel, hun blev udsat for.
11Men selv om hendes søster Oholiba så, hvad der skete med hende, tog hun ikke ved lære. Hendes afgudsliderlighed var forfærdelig, og hun syndede endnu mere end søsteren. 12Hun flirtede med de assyriske officerer og stormænd, der havde så flotte uniformer og prægtige heste. 13Hun var lige så troløs som sin søster, 14-15ja, hun var faktisk værre end søsteren, for hun forelskede sig endog i de babyloniske officerer, hun havde set malerier af på murene med røde uniformer, bælte om livet og turban på hovedet. 16Hun blev så forelsket i dem, at hun sendte bud til Babylon om, at de skulle komme til hende. 17De kom så og horede med hende, men bagefter følte hun afsky for dem.
18Fordi hun blottede sig for dem og gav sig selv hen til dem, blev jeg led ved hende, som jeg var blevet led ved hendes storesøster. 19-20Men det generede hende ikke. Hun huskede sin fortid som prostitueret i Egypten og gav sig nu hen til de liderlige egyptere, der var brunstige som æsler og gejle som hingste. 21Hun gik tilbage til sin ungdoms lyster, dengang man krammede hendes bryster i Egypten.
22Men hør nu Herrens ord, Oholiba: Alle dine elskere, som du vendte dig fra i afsky, hidser jeg op imod dig. 23Babylonierne kommer imod dig sammen med alle kaldæerne fra Pekod, Shoa og Koa. Også assyrerne sender jeg mod dig, alle de flotte officerer og stormænd, klædt i purpur og ridende på prægtige heste. 24Fra nord kommer stridsvogne og forsyningsvogne rumlende imod dig, og deres fodfolk kommer vrimlende fra alle kanter, bevæbnet til tænderne. Fjenden omringer dig fra alle sider, og jeg overlader det til dem at udføre straffen over dig. 25I jalousi vil jeg hævne mig på dig. Jeg lader dem skære næsen og ørerne af dig og bortføre dine børn som slaver. De, der overlever, vil falde for sværdet eller brændes i ilden. 26De vil flå tøjet af dig og rive dine juveler til sig. 27Sådan vil jeg gøre en ende på dine uhæmmede lidenskaber, den skamløse livsstil du tog med dig fra Egypten. Du skal ikke mere tilbede falske guder eller tænke på Egypten. 28Jeg giver dig i dine fjenders vold, dem du afskyr og har taget afstand fra. 29I deres raseri vil de frarøve dig alt, hvad du har, og slænge dig bort, nøgen og forladt, så din skandaløse livsstil afsløres. 30Al den elendighed er du selv skyld i, fordi du dyrkede fremmede folkeslags guder og gjorde dig selv uren ved at tilbede deres afgudsbilleder. 31Du fulgte i din søsters fodspor, og derfor skal du få en straf, der svarer til hendes. 32Det er en hård straf, og du bliver genstand for alverdens hån. Du må tømme straffens fyldte bæger til bunds. 33Du vil blive fuldstændig omtåget og stønne af gru og rædsel. 34Men du skal tømme det til sidste dråbe og derefter smadre det i tusind stykker og rive dig selv til blods i fortvivlelse. Jeg, Herren, har talt. 35Fordi du glemte mig og vendte mig ryggen, må du tage konsekvensen af din forfærdelige utroskab.”
36Herren fortsatte: „Du menneske, udtal min dom over Ohola og Oholiba. Fortæl om deres frygtelige synder. 37De var mig utro og har blod på hænderne, for de dyrkede afguderne og myrdede de børn, som de fødte mig, ved at brænde dem på afgudsaltrene. 38Desuden vanærede de mit tempel og overholdt ikke sabbatsbudet. 39Tænk, lige efter at have slagtet og brændt deres børn til ære for afguderne kom de til mit tempel for at tilbede mig! Hvilken afskyelig handlemåde!
40I to søstre sendte bud til fjerne lande efter flotte mænd. I badede jer, lagde sminke på øjnene og tog jeres fineste smykker på. 41I satte jer til bords på elegante puder og stillede min hellige røgelse og olie frem på bordet. 42Der var fest og ballade. De mange indbudte mænd fra ørkenen drak sig fulde og satte armringe på jeres arme og en fornem krone på jeres hoved. 43Jeg sagde til mig selv: De utro gamle skøger! 44Derpå gik mændene ind til Ohola og Oholiba som til prostituerede. Åh, de skamløse kvinder. 45Men retskafne mænd skal efter lovens ord idømme dem straffen for ægteskabsbrud og mord, for de har været utro imod mig, og de har blod på hænderne.
46Gud Herren siger: Før en hær imod dem, så de bliver terroriseret og udplyndret. 47Lad fjenden kaste sten imod dem og hugge dem ned med sværdet, slagte deres børn og brænde deres huse ned til grunden. 48For jeg vil sætte en stopper for den afgudsliderlighed, der hersker i landet. I skal være et eksempel til skræk og advarsel for andre til alle tider. 49I vil blive straffet hårdt for jeres uanstændige afguderi, og I skal forstå, at jeg er Herren.”
1The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 2Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother: 3And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity. 4And the names of them were Aholah the 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.23.4 Aholah: that is, His tent, or, tabernacle23.4 Aholibah: that is, My tabernacle in her 5And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours, 6Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses. 7Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself.23.7 committed…: Heb. bestowed her whoredoms upon them23.7 the chosen…: Heb. the choice of the children of Asshur 8Neither left she her whoredoms 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. 9Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted. 10These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her.23.10 famous: Heb. a name
11And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms.23.11 she was…: Heb. she corrupted her inordinate love more than, etc23.11 more than…: Heb. more than the whoredoms of her sister 12She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men. 13Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way, 14And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion, 15Girded with 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: 16And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.23.16 as soon…: Heb. at the sight of her eyes 17And the Babylonians 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 alienated from them.23.17 Babylonians: Heb. children of Babel23.17 alienated: Heb. loosed, or, disjointed 18So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister. 19Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. 20For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. 21Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth.
22¶ Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side; 23The Babylonians, 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. 24And they shall come against thee with 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. 25And I 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. 26They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels.23.26 fair…: Heb. instruments of thy decking 27Thus will 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. 28For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest, into the hand of them from whom thy mind is alienated: 29And they shall deal 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. 30I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols. 31Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thine hand. 32Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou shalt drink of thy sister’s cup deep and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth much. 33Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria. 34Thou shalt even drink 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. 35Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
36¶ The LORD said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations;23.36 judge: or, plead for 37That they 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. 38Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths. 39For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house. 40And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to 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,23.40 to come: Heb. coming 41And satest upon a stately bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oil.23.41 stately: Heb. honourable 42And a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness, which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.23.42 of the…: Heb. of the multitude of men23.42 Sabeans: or, drunkards 43Then said I unto her that was old in adulteries, Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she with them?23.43 whoredoms…: Heb. her whoredoms 44Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot: so went they in unto Aholah and unto Aholibah, the lewd women.
45¶ And the 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. 46For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and spoiled.23.46 to be…: Heb. for a removing and spoil 47And the company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.23.47 dispatch…: or, single them out 48Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness. 49And they 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.
