7 The words “The Lord says” have been moved up from the end of the verse to make clear that a change in speaker has occurred.
8 Heb “They have readied [or strung] their tongue as their bow for lies.”
9 Heb “but not through honesty.”
10 Heb “they go from evil to evil.”
11 Or “do not acknowledge me”; Heb “do not know me.” But “knowing” in Hebrew thought often involves more than intellectual knowledge; it involves emotional and volitional commitment as well. For יָדַע meaning “acknowledge” see 1 Chr 28:9; Isa 29:21; Hos 2:20; Prov 3:6. This word is also found in ancient Near Eastern treaty contexts where it has the idea of a vassal king acknowledging the sovereignty of a greater king (cf. H. Huffmon, “The Treaty Background of Hebrew yada,” 181 [1966]: 31–37).

In other versions

They bend their tongue like a bow;

falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land;

for they proceed from evil to evil,

and they do not know me, declares the Lord.

“They make ready their tongue

like a bow, to shoot lies;

it is not by truth

that they triumph in the land.

They go from one sin to another;

they do not acknowledge me,”

declares the Lord.

They bent their tongues like their bows;

lies and not faithfulness prevail in the land,

for they proceed from one evil to another,

and they do not take me into account.

This is the Lord’s declaration.

“My people bend their tongues like bows

to shoot out lies.

They refuse to stand up for the truth.

They only go from bad to worse.

They do not know me,”

says the Lord.

And they bend their tongue like their bow,

for falsehood and not truth is superior in the land,

for they go forth from evil to evil,

and they do not know me,” declares Yahweh.

And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies:

But they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth;

For they proceed from evil to evil,

And they know not me, saith the Lord.

Public Domain