A reading from the book of Ezekiel.

Again the word of the Lord came to me.

Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations, and say,

Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem, your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites.

Your father was an Amarite, and your mother a Hittite.

And as for your birth, on the day you were

born, your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt,

nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No I pitied you to do any of these things to you out of compassion

for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were poured on the day that you were born.

And when I passed by you and saw you, wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, live.

I said to you in your blood, live, I made you flourish like a plant of the field, and you grew up and

became tall and arrived at full adornment. Your breasts were formed, and your hair

had grown, yet you were naked and bare. When I passed by you again and saw you, behold,

you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness.

I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine, that I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shodged you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk, and I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists

and a chain on your neck, and I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful

crown on your head. Thus you were adorned, with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen

and silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty.

And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect

through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord God. But you trusted in your

beauty and played the whore because of your renown, and lavished your

horings on any passerby. Your beauty became his. You took some of your garments and made for yourself

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