And they bend their tongues like their bows for [a]lies: but they have no courage for the truth upon the earth, for they proceed from evil to worse, and they have not known me, saith the Lord.

Let everyone take heed of his neighbor, and trust you not in any [b]brother: for every brother will use deceit, and every friend will deal deceitfully,

And everyone will deceive his friend, and will not speak the truth: for they [c]have taught their tongue to speak lies, and take great pains to do wickedly.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 9:3 To belie and slander their neighbors.
  2. Jeremiah 9:4 Meaning, that all were corrupt, and none could find an honest man.
  3. Jeremiah 9:5 They have so practiced deceit, that they cannot forsake it.

“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