⁴ They spit venom like deadly snakes;
    they are like cobras that refuse to listen,

³ Their tongues sting like a snake;
    the venom of a viper drips from their lips. Interlude

¹¹ If a snake bites before you charm it,
    what’s the use of being a snake charmer?

¹³ “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
    Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”^[a]

¹⁷ I will send these enemy troops among you
    like poisonous snakes you cannot charm.
They will bite you, and you will die.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!”

⁸ The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.
    Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.

¹⁶ They will suck the poison of cobras.
    The viper will kill them.