Jeremiah 5:2

These people make promises in the name of the Lord. ¹  But the fact is, ²  what they swear to is really a lie.” ³ 

Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ still they are swearing falsely."

"And although they say, ‘As the LORD lives,’ Surely they swear falsely."

Even when they are under oath, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they all tell lies!"

"But if all they do is say, 'As sure as GOD lives...'they're nothing but a bunch of liars."

And though they say, By the living Lord; truly their oaths are false.

Although they say, "As the LORD lives," yet they swear falsely.

Though they say, ‘ As the LORD lives,’ Surely they swear falsely."

These people make promises in the name of the Lord. ¹  But the fact is, ²  what they swear to is really a lie.” ³ 

¹ tn Heb “Though they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives.” The idea of “swear on oath” comes from the second line.

² tc The translation follows many Hebrew mss and the Syriac version in reading “surely” (אָכֵן, ’akhen) instead of “therefore” (לָכֵן, lakhen) in the MT.

tn Heb “Surely.”

³ tn Heb “they swear falsely.”