In verses 16-21 God says the girl became a full-time prostitute. She used the fine material of her beautiful clothes to decorate the places where she had sex with men, and she used her gold and silver jewelry to make idols. She worshiped false gods and even sacrificed her children to them. In these verses the parable begins to break down, because it now becomes clear that the girl’s prostitution really refers to way the Israelites worshiped false gods.

You took some of your garments, and made for yourself gaily decked shrines: Your garments are the beautiful clothes God had given to the girl. The Hebrew word for shrines is literally “high places” (King James Version / New King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). It is the term frequently used in the Bible for the pagan places of worship that the unfaithful Israelites used to worship idols (see the comments on 6.3). Here it is ambiguous because it also refers to the raised platforms on which prostitutes had sex with their clients. To maintain the parable of this chapter, it is preferable to focus on this meaning; for example, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “platforms.” Made for yourself gaily decked shrines probably does not mean the girl constructed or built these platforms; rather, she decorated them with some of her clothes (so Good News Translation). Since her clothes from God were beautiful, her platforms were gaily decked. The Hebrew word rendered gaily decked is the same one used in Gen 30.32-33 to describe the “spotted” goats in Laban’s flock. It is also used to describe the “patched” sandals in Josh 9.5. Therefore it is unlikely that this word means “gaudy” (New International Version, New American Bible), “colorful” (New Revised Standard Version, New Century Version, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), “bright with colours” (New Jerusalem Bible; similarly Bible en français courant), or “multicolored” (New King James Version ). More likely it refers to some patchwork effect, with patches of material sewn together to cover the platforms.

And on them played the harlot: On the platforms the girl worked as a prostitute. For played the harlot, see the previous verse. Contemporary English Version renders this clause as “That’s where you took your visitors to have sex with them.”

Models for the first sentence of this verse are:

• You used some of your clothes and made a patchwork covering for your platforms. There you had sex like a prostitute.

• You sewed together some of your clothing as a covering to decorate the platforms where you worked as a prostitute [or, where you had sex with men].

The like has never been, nor ever shall be: As in verse 15, the last words of this verse do not make much sense. The Hebrew says literally “Not by the sign, and it will not be” or “Not coming things, and it will not be.” Since the Hebrew sentence here is unclear, some translations omit it (so Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Moffatt). Most understand it as a comment, deploring the actions of the girl; for example, Contemporary English Version says “These things should never have happened!” New International Version has “Such things should not happen, nor should they ever occur,” and New Living Translation translates “Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen?” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project suggests the following possible translations: “they (that is, the shrines) should never have come into existence, and it (that is, the girl’s prostitution) should never have happened!” and “may they never have come into existence and may that never be!” Unfortunately, these renderings do not bear much resemblance to the Hebrew, nor do they fit the context of the parable in the chapter very well. This sentence is most likely another coarse comment on the girl’s behavior, which may be rendered “What a whore you are!” In fact, one of the Hebrew words here can be used with a coarse sexual meaning, and it may be that these words are an obscene idiomatic phrase, the meaning of which is not clear. In view of this uncertainty, translators may choose any of the renderings above, but it is probably best to omit the words and include a footnote to explain that some obscure words are missing (so Good News Translation).

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .