¹⁸ “Come now, ^(A)let us reason^[a] together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as ^(B)white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.

²⁶ “As a thief is shamed when caught,
    so the house of Israel shall be shamed:
^(J)they, their kings, their officials,
    their priests, and their prophets,
²⁷ who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
    and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their back to me,
    and not their face.
But ^(K)in the time of their trouble they say,
    ‘Arise and save us!’
²⁸ But ^(L)where are your gods
    that you made for yourself?
Let them arise, ^(M)if they can save you,
    in your time of trouble;
for ^(N)as many as your cities
    are your gods, O Judah.

²⁹ “Why do you contend with me?
    You have all transgressed against me,
declares the Lord.
³⁰ In vain have I ^(O)struck your children;
    they took no correction;
^(P)your own sword devoured your prophets
    like a ravening lion.
³¹ And you, O generation, behold the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
    or a land of thick darkness?
Why then do my people say, ‘We are free,
    we will come no more to you’?
^32 (Q)Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
    or a bride her attire?
Yet ^(R)my people have forgotten me
    days without number.

³³ “How well you direct your course
    to seek love!
So that even to wicked women
    you have taught your ways.
³⁴ Also on your skirts is found
    ^(S)the lifeblood of the guiltless poor;
you did not find them ^(T)breaking in.
    Yet in spite of all these things
³⁵ you say, ‘I am innocent;
    surely his anger has turned from me.’
^(U)Behold, I will bring you to judgment
    for ^(V)saying, ‘I have not sinned.’

^7 (A)“Dress for action^[a] like a man;
    ^(B)I will question you, and you make it known to me.
⁸ Will you even put me in the wrong?
    Will you condemn me that ^(C)you may be in the right?