²³ Can an Ethiopian^[a] change his skin
    or a leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good
    who are accustomed to doing evil.^(A)

⁵ Friend deceives friend,^(A)
    and no one speaks the truth.^(B)
They have taught their tongues to lie;^(C)
    they weary themselves with sinning.

²² Although you wash^(A) yourself with soap^(B)
    and use an abundance of cleansing powder,
    the stain of your guilt is still before me,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.^(C)

⁹ The heart^(A) is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it?

³ Lord, do not your eyes^(A) look for truth?
    You struck^(B) them, but they felt no pain;
    you crushed them, but they refused correction.^(C)
They made their faces harder than stone^(D)
    and refused to repent.^(E)

³⁰ “In vain I punished your people;
    they did not respond to correction.^(A)
Your sword has devoured your prophets^(B)
    like a ravenous lion.

⁵ Why should you be beaten^(A) anymore?
    Why do you persist^(B) in rebellion?^(C)
Your whole head is injured,
    your whole heart^(D) afflicted.^(E)

²² Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
    grinding them like grain with a pestle,
    you will not remove their folly from them.