Jeremiah 9:3-9
English Standard Version
3 (A)They bend their tongue like a bow;
falsehood and not truth has grown strong[a] in the land;
for they proceed from evil to evil,
(B)and they do not know me, declares the Lord.
4 (C)Let everyone beware of his neighbor,
and put no trust in any brother,
for every (D)brother is a deceiver,
and every neighbor (E)goes about as a slanderer.
5 Everyone deceives his neighbor,
and no one speaks the truth;
they have taught their tongue to speak lies;
they weary themselves committing iniquity.
6 Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit,
(F)they refuse to know me, declares the Lord.
7 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:
“Behold, (G)I will refine them and (H)test them,
for what else can I do, (I)because of my people?
8 (J)Their tongue is a deadly arrow;
(K)it speaks deceitfully;
with his mouth (L)each speaks peace to his neighbor,
but in his heart (M)he plans an ambush for him.
9 (N)Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord,
and shall I not avenge myself
on a nation such as this?
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 9:3 Septuagint; Hebrew and not for truth they have grown strong
Jeremiah 9:3-9
New Living Translation
Judgment for Disobedience
3 “My people bend their tongues like bows
to shoot out lies.
They refuse to stand up for the truth.
They only go from bad to worse.
They do not know me,”
says the Lord.
4 “Beware of your neighbor!
Don’t even trust your brother!
For brother takes advantage of brother,
and friend slanders friend.
5 They all fool and defraud each other;
no one tells the truth.
With practiced tongues they tell lies;
they wear themselves out with all their sinning.
6 They pile lie upon lie
and utterly refuse to acknowledge me,”
says the Lord.
7 Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:
“See, I will melt them down in a crucible
and test them like metal.
What else can I do with my people?[a]
8 For their tongues shoot lies like poisoned arrows.
They speak friendly words to their neighbors
while scheming in their heart to kill them.
9 Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord.
“Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?”
Footnotes
- 9:7 Hebrew with the daughter of my people? Greek version reads with the evil daughter of my people?
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
