Jeremiah 9:3 
Context| NET © | 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 |
| NIV © | "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. |
| NASB © | "They bend their tongue like their bow; Lies and not truth prevail in the land; For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me," declares the LORD. |
| NLT © | "My people bend their tongues like bows to shoot lies. They refuse to stand up for the truth. And they only go from bad to worse! They care nothing for me," says the LORD. |
| MSG © | "Their tongues shoot out lies like a bow shoots arrows--A mighty army of liars, the sworn enemies of truth. They advance from one evil to the next, ignorant of me." GOD's Decree. |
| BBE © | Their tongues are bent like a bow to send out false words: they have become strong in the land, but not for good faith: they go on from evil to evil, and they have no knowledge of me, says the Lord. |
| NRSV © | They bend their tongues like bows; they have grown strong in the land for falsehood, and not for truth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, says the LORD. |
| NKJV © | "And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me," says the LORD. |
| KJV | |
| NASB © | |
| HEBREW | |
| LXXM | |
| NET © [draft] ITL | The Lord <03068> says <05002> , “These people are like soldiers who <01869> have readied <01396> <01869> their bows <07198> <01869> . Their tongues <03956> are always ready <01869> to shoot <01869> out lies <08267> . They have become powerful <01396> in the land <0776> , but they have not <03808> done <07451> so by <07451> honest <0530> means <01396> . Indeed <03588> , they do one evil <07451> <07451> thing after another <03318> <07451> <01396> and do not pay attention <03045> <01396> |
| NET © | 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 |
| NET © Notes |
1 tn The words “The 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). |
