The Babylonian Exile

Their names were Oholah, the older one, and Oholivah, her sister. They belonged to me, and they gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their names, Shomron is Oholah, and Yerushalayim is Oholivah

"Even when she belonged to me, Oholah prostituted herself; she lusted after her lovers from Ashur - warriors

dressed in blue, governors, rulers, all of them good-looking young men riding on horseback.

She gave herself as a whore to them, all of them the elite of Ashur; and she defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after.

She did not give up the whoring she had begun in Egypt, where men had sex with her, fondled her virgin nipples and flooded her with their fornication.

"So I handed her over to her lovers, the men of Ashur she lusted after.

They exposed her private parts, took her sons and daughters, and put her to death with the sword; so that she became notorious among women for the judgments executed against her.

"Her sister Oholivah saw this; nevertheless she was worse than her sister in lusting and likewise in whoring.

She lusted after the men from Ashur, governors and rulers, warriors dressed to perfection, skilled horsemen, all of them good-looking young men.

I saw that she had defiled herself; both sisters had gone down the same path.

She prostituted herself more than ever; because she saw wall-carvings of men, depicting the Kasdim in vermilion

with sashes wrapped around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like military men, the very image of men of Bavel born in the land of the Kasdim.

The moment she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in the land of the Kasdim;

and the men of Bavel climbed into her "love bed" and defiled her with their lust. She was defiled by them, and then filled with revulsion at them.

Thus did she reveal her fornication and expose her private parts. When this happened, I was filled with revulsion at her, just as I had been filled with revulsion at her sister.

Still she kept increasing her whoring, remembering the days when she was young, fornicating in the land of Egypt

Yes, she lusted after their male prostitutes, whose members are like those of donkeys and who ejaculate like stallions.

You yearned for the lewdness of your girlhood, when the Egyptians used to fondle your nipples and caress your young breasts

"Therefore, Oholivah, here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'I will raise up your lovers against you, the ones who fill you with revulsion, and bring them against you from every side -

the men of Bavel and all the Kasdim, P'kod, Shoa and Koa, and with them all the men of Ashur, good-looking young men, all of them governors and rulers, commanders and officers, all on horseback.

They will advance on you armed with chariots, wagons and with an army drawn from many peoples; they will array themselves against you from every side with breastplates, shields and helmets. I will give them the authority to judge, and they will judge you as they see fit.

I will direct my jealousy against you, so that they will deal with you in fury - they will cut off your nose and ears, and what is left of you will die by the sword; they will seize your sons and daughters, and those who remain of you will be consumed by the fire.

They will strip you of your clothes and seize your fine jewels.

Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your fornication brought from the land of Egypt, so that you will no longer raise your eyes toward them or remember Egypt any more.'

For this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'I am about to hand you over to those you hate, to those who fill you with revulsion;