³ And they bend their tongue, as it were their bow, for falsehood; and they are grown strong in the land, but not for ^[a]truth: for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith Jehovah. ⁴ Take ye heed every one of his neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go about with slanders. ⁵ And they will ^[b]deceive every one his neighbor, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves to commit iniquity. ⁶ Thy habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith Jehovah.

⁷ Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how else should I do, because of the daughter of my people? ⁸ Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he layeth wait for him. ⁹ Shall I not visit them for these things? saith Jehovah; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?