⁵¹ Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done.^(A)

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)

No One Is Righteous

⁹ What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?^(A) Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.^{(B) 10} As it is written:

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says,^(I) it says to those who are under the law,^(J) so that every mouth may be silenced^(K) and the whole world held accountable to God.^{(L) 20} Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;^(M) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.^(N)

⁴⁷ “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.^{(A) 48} But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.^(B) From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

⁴¹ The men of Nineveh^(A) will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah,^(B) and now something greater than Jonah is here. ⁴² The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came^(C) from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.