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And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies:
but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth;
for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.
Take ye heed every one of his neighbour,
and trust ye not in any brother:
for every brother will utterly supplant,
and every neighbour will walk with slanders.
And they will deceive every one his neighbour,
and will not speak the truth:
they have taught their tongue to speak lies,
and weary themselves to commit iniquity.
Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit;
through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord.
Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts,
Behold, I will melt them, and try them;
for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?
Their tongue is as an arrow shot out;
it speaketh deceit:
one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth,
but in heart he layeth his wait.
Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the Lord:
shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

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“They make ready their tongue
    like a bow, to shoot lies;(A)
it is not by truth
    that they triumph[a] in the land.
They go from one sin to another;
    they do not acknowledge(B) me,”
declares the Lord.
“Beware of your friends;(C)
    do not trust anyone in your clan.(D)
For every one of them is a deceiver,[b](E)
    and every friend a slanderer.(F)
Friend deceives friend,(G)
    and no one speaks the truth.(H)
They have taught their tongues to lie;(I)
    they weary themselves with sinning.
You[c] live in the midst of deception;(J)
    in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,”
declares the Lord.

Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says:

“See, I will refine(K) and test(L) them,
    for what else can I do
    because of the sin of my people?
Their tongue(M) is a deadly arrow;
    it speaks deceitfully.
With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors,(N)
    but in their hearts they set traps(O) for them.(P)
Should I not punish them for this?”
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(Q) myself
    on such a nation as this?”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 9:3 Or lies; / they are not valiant for truth
  2. Jeremiah 9:4 Or a deceiving Jacob
  3. Jeremiah 9:6 That is, Jeremiah (the Hebrew is singular)