Jeremiah 8:8 
Context| NET © | How can you say, “We are wise! We have the law of the Lord”? The truth is, 1 those who teach it 2 have used their writings to make it say what it does not really mean. 3 |
| NIV © | "‘How can you say, "We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD," when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? |
| NASB © | "How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes Has made it into a lie. |
| NLT © | "‘How can you say, "We are wise because we have the law of the LORD," when your teachers have twisted it so badly? |
| MSG © | "'How can you say, "We know the score. We're the proud owners of GOD's revelation"? Look where it's gotten you--stuck in illusion. Your religion experts have taken you for a ride! |
| BBE © | How is it that you say, We are wise and the law of the Lord is with us? But see, the false pen of the scribes has made it false. |
| NRSV © | How can you say, "We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us," when, in fact, the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie? |
| NKJV © | "How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us’? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. |
| KJV | |
| NASB © | |
| HEBREW | |
| LXXM | |
| NET © [draft] ITL | |
| NET © | How can you say, “We are wise! We have the law of the Lord”? The truth is, 1 those who teach it 2 have used their writings to make it say what it does not really mean. 3 |
| NET © Notes |
1 tn Heb “Surely, behold!” 2 tn Heb “the scribes.” 3 tn Heb “The lying pen of the scribes have made [it] into a lie.” The translation is an attempt to make the most common interpretation of this passage understandable for the average reader. This is, however, a difficult passage whose interpretation is greatly debated and whose syntax is capable of other interpretations. The interpretation of the NJPS, “Assuredly, for naught has the pen labored, for naught the scribes,” surely deserves consideration within the context; i.e. it hasn’t done any good for the scribes to produce a reliable copy of the law, which the people have refused to follow. That interpretation has the advantage of explaining the absence of an object for the verb “make” or “labored” but creates a very unbalanced poetic couplet. |
