⁷ I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister^(A) Judah saw it.^(B)

⁴⁶ Your older sister^(A) was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom.^(B)

Repentance to Bring Blessing

Israel Unrepentant

² “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.^{(A) 3} They became prostitutes in Egypt,^(B) engaging in prostitution^(C) from their youth.^(D) In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.^{(E) 4} The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.^(F)

⁸ I gave faithless Israel^(A) her certificate of divorce^(B) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;^(C) she also went out and committed adultery. ⁹ Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land^(D) and committed adultery^(E) with stone^(F) and wood.^{(G) 10} In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return^(H) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,^(I)” declares the Lord.^(J)

¹¹ The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous^(K) than unfaithful^(L) Judah.^(M)

⁶ At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:

¹⁰ The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed^(I) them. ¹¹ Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled^(J) themselves and went to Jerusalem.^{(K) 12} Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity^(L) of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord.

¹³ The Lord warned^(A) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:^(B) “Turn from your evil ways.^(C) Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”^(D)

¹⁴ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked^(E) as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God.