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And they bend their tongue like their bow,
    for falsehood and not truth is superior in the land,
for they go forth[a] from evil to evil,
    and they do not know me,” declares[b] Yahweh.

A Nation Characterized by Deceit

“Let everyone be on your guard against his neighbor,
    and you must not trust in any brother,
for everyone surely betrays,
    and every neighbor goes about with slander.
And everyone deceives his neighbor,
    and they do not speak the truth,
they have taught their tongues[c] to speak lies,[d]
    they are tired from going astray.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 9:3 Or “proceed”
  2. Jeremiah 9:3 Literally “a declaration of”
  3. Jeremiah 9:5 Hebrew “tongue”
  4. Jeremiah 9:5 Hebrew “lie”

“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