Jeremiah 9:1-9

New American Standard Bible

9 ^[a](A)Oh, that my head were waters
And my eyes a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night
For those slain of the ^(B)daughter of my people!
^2 [b](C)Oh that I had in the desert
A travelers’ lodging place;
So that I might leave my people
And go away from them!
For all of them are ^(D)adulterers,
An assembly of ^(E)treacherous people.
³ “They ^(F)bend their tongues like their bows;
Lies and not truth prevail in the land;
For they ^(G)proceed from evil to evil,
And they ^(H)do not know Me,” declares the Lord.
⁴ “Let everyone ^(I)be on guard against his neighbor,
And ^(J)do not trust any brother;
Because every ^(K)brother utterly ^[c]betrays,
And every neighbor ^(L)goes about as a slanderer.
⁵ Everyone ^(M)deceives his neighbor
And does not speak the truth.
They have taught their tongue to speak lies;
They ^(N)weary themselves committing wrongdoing.
⁶ Your ^(O)dwelling is in the midst of deceit;
Through deceit they ^(P)refuse to know Me,” declares the Lord.

“Behold, I will refine them and ^(Q)put them to the test;
For ^(R)what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people?
⁸ Their ^(S)tongue is a deadly arrow;
It speaks deceit;
With his mouth one ^(T)speaks peace to his neighbor,
But inwardly he ^(U)sets an ambush for him.
^9 (V)Shall I not punish them for these things?” declares the Lord.
“Shall I not avenge Myself
On a nation such as this?