Behold, the guilt of your sister Sodom! She and her daughters were arrogant, gluttonous, and lived in carefree complacency. They never thought to help the poor and needy. They were proud, stubborn, and defiantly evil before me, and so I swept them away as you have seen. And yet Samaria never committed half the sins that you have. You have done more detestable things than they. When compared to all your gross practices, you have made your sisters seem innocent! So now you will bear the shame of your deeds, which provides a measure of justification for your sisters, since your sins are viler than theirs. They now appear more upright than you are. So, suffer the utter disgrace and humiliation of having made your sisters appear more righteous than you!
“I will restore their fortunes; I will restore Sodom and her daughters. I will restore Samaria and her daughters, and then I will also restore your fortunes along with them. You will be totally ashamed of yourself and bear disgrace for all you have done in giving them comfort. When your sisters, Sodom and her daughter-villages and Samaria and her daughter-villages, are restored to what they were, then you, too, and your surrounding villages will be restored to what you were. Jerusalem, did you not gloat in your pride over your sister Sodom before your wickedness was uncovered? Now you are just like her! You have become the laughingstock of the Philistines, the Syrians, and all your neighbors who hate you and heap scorn on you. You have brought this on yourself with your lewdness and your disgusting deeds. I, Lord YAHWEH, have spoken.”
“For I, Lord YAHWEH say to you: I will treat you as you deserve, for you have broken your marriage covenant and despised your promises to me. But I will remember my covenant that I made with you in the days of your youth. I will renew that covenant with you, and it will last forever. When you get back your older and younger sisters, then you will remember your ways and feel ashamed. I will make them like daughters to you, but not on the basis of my new covenant with you. Yes, I will graciously renew my covenant with you, and then you will know me as YAHWEH-God. You may remember your wretched past and feel deep remorse, yet you will be reduced to silence when you realize that I have forgiven you for everything you have done. I, Lord YAHWEH, have spoken.”
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