Jeremiah 9:2–9

²² Oh that I had in the desert

a travelers’ lodging place,

that I might leave my people

and go away from them!

For they are all ⁿadulterers,

a company of ^otreacherous men.

^3pThey bend their tongue like a bow;

falsehood and not truth has grown strong³ in the land;

for they proceed from evil to evil,

^qand they do not know me, declares the Lord.

^4rLet everyone beware of his neighbor,

and put no trust in any brother,

for every ^sbrother is a deceiver,

and every neighbor ^tgoes about as a slanderer.

⁵Everyone deceives his neighbor,

and no one speaks the truth;

they have taught their tongue to speak lies;

they weary themselves committing iniquity.

⁶Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit,

^uthey refuse to know me, declares the Lord.

⁷Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:

“Behold, ^vI will refine them and ^wtest them,

for what else can I do, ^jbecause of my people?

^8xTheir tongue is a deadly arrow;

^yit speaks deceitfully;

with his mouth ^zeach speaks peace to his neighbor,

but in his heart ^ahe plans an ambush for him.

^9bShall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord,

and shall I not avenge myself

on a nation such as this?