Ezekiel 23 and the NIRV Bible for Kids

Ezekiel 23 has a lot of shocking sexual language.

Especially 23:20...

Though in the KJV it is pretty tame: (using euphemisms)
"For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses."

The NIRV uses much more clearer language:
"There she had longed for her lovers. Their private parts seemed as big as those of donkeys. And their flow of sperm appeared to be as much as that of horses."

[note these forums seem to be replacing a word with "sperm"]

Anyway I used AI to make songs quoting lyrics like Ezekiel 23 but Steam says "it contains Adult Only Sexual Content". But the NIRV Bible for Kids is aimed at kids and it contains "Complete text of the New International Reader's Version, written at a third-grade reading level just for developing readers".


So what do Christians think about the passage and how suitable it is for children?

Here's the entire chapter from the NIRV translation:


I was surprised that even verse 20 was there but that whole passage goes on for 49 verses.

Though the GNT (Good News Bible) has this for verse 20: (which ignores some of the original meaning)

"She was filled with lust for oversexed men who had all the lustfulness of donkeys or stallions"

@Lukaris

Thanks I hadn't read the later verses very carefully so I wasn't aware of the parts about child sacrifice.

BTW some AI says "Samaria was the capital city of the northern Kingdom of Israel" and Jerusalem was "the capital of the Kingdom of Judah".

As far as "harlots" go, the NIRV is clearer and calls them "prostitutes".

DragonFox91 said:

I don't think a child can understand that, but a child can understand the people were doing things God didn't like & that made him upset.

Click to expand...

So the goal was to make the NIRV text understable by a person at a 3rd grade reading level. They'd probably understand "private parts" and "breasts" but if they don't understand "s*men" or "sex" they might ask an adult or fellow child. (note the s word is replaced with "sperm" on these forums even though it appears in a Bible for kids)

BTW I was looking into other Bible translations:

Verse 4 of the Good News Translation says "...I married both of them, and they bore me children"

I didn't realise that "they were mine" or "they belonged to me" meant that.

Also it said "They have been unfaithful to me". I wanted to make a paraphrase so I changed it to "They cheated on me" which I think is still pretty accurate.