As for your sisters: New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh changes the Hebrew text here to read “Then your sister” (similarly Revised English Bible, Jerusalem Bible). However, this phrase focuses attention on the two wicked sisters again, so translators should not change the Hebrew here.

Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate; and you and your daughters shall return to your former estate: This verse basically repeats the information of verse 53. In fact, the words return to their former estate explain more clearly what the restoration will be like, that is, they will “return to what they were before” (New International Version, New Century Version; similarly New Jerusalem Bible). This restoration will not necessarily involve great wealth, as Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version suggest.

Provided the meaning is clear, translators may reduce some of the repetition in verses 53-55. For many languages it may be desirable to combine these three verses to do so. A model that does this is:

• “Now about your sisters—I will return Sodom and her daughters back to the position they had before, and I will return Samaria and her daughters back to the position they had before. And at the same time I will return you and your daughters back to the position you had before. This is so that you will be humiliated and feel great shame because of the sins that you have done. You have been so bad that your sisters will feel relieved that they weren’t as sinful as you [or, they will feel good in comparison with you].

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .