Jeremiah 9:7-9

Contemporary English Version

⁷ And so I will purify
    the hearts of my people
just as gold is purified
in a furnace.
    I have no other choice.
⁸ They say they want peace,
    but this lie is deadly,
like an arrow that strikes
    when you least expect it.
⁹ Give me one good reason
not to punish them
    as they deserve.
I, the Lord All-Powerful,
    have spoken.