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Judah’s Failures

“They ·use [L bend] their tongues like a bow [C shooting lies from their mouths like arrows; Ps. 64:3–4].
Lies, not truth,
    have grown strong in the land.
They go from one evil thing to another.
    They do not know ·who I am [L me],” says the Lord.
“·Watch out [Be on guard] for your ·friends [or neighbors],
    and don’t ·trust [have confidence in] your own ·relatives [L brothers],
because every ·relative [L brother] is a ·cheater [L Jacob, who supplants; Gen. 25:19—35:29],
    and every ·friend [or neighbor] ·tells lies about [L goes around slandering] you.
Everyone ·lies to [deceives] his ·friend [or neighbor],
    and no one speaks ·the truth [honestly].
They [C the people of Judah] have taught their tongues to ·lie [L tell falsehoods].
    They have become tired from ·sinning [their iniquity].

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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.

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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