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They use their tongues like bows that shoot arrows.
    Lies and dishonesty rule the land.[a]
    They go from one evil thing to another,
    and they don’t know me,” declares Yahweh.
“Beware of your neighbors.
    Don’t trust your relatives.
    Every relative cheats.
    Every neighbor goes around slandering.
Everyone cheats his neighbor.
    No one speaks the truth.
    My people train their tongues to speak lies.
    They wear themselves out doing wrong.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 9:3 Greek; Masoretic Text “They bend their tongue. Their bow is falsehood. And not for truth are they strong in the land.”

“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