Jeremiah 9:3

The Lord says, ¹  “These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows. Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. ²  They have become powerful in the land, but they have not done so by honest means. ³  Indeed, they do one evil thing after another ⁴  and do not pay attention to me. ⁵ 

Jud 2:10; 1Sa 2:12; Ps 52:2-4; Ps 64:3,4; Ps 120:2-4; Isa 59:3-5,13-15; Jer 4:22; Jer 7:26; Jer 9:5,8; Jer 22:16; Jer 31:34; Ho 4:1-3; Mic 7:3-5; Mt 10:31-33; Mr 8:38; Joh 8:54,55; Joh 17:3; Ro 1:16; Ro 1:28; Ro 3:13; 2Co 4:4-6; Php 1:28; 2Ti 3:13; Jude 1:3; Re 12:11

¹ tn 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.

² tn Heb “They have readied [or strung] their tongue as their bow for lies.”

³ tn Heb “but not through honesty.”

⁴ tn Heb “they go from evil to evil.”

⁵ tn 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,” BASOR 181 [1966]: 31-37).