Jeremiah 9:3
New International Version
“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.

New Living Translation
“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.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
“They bend their tongues like bows; lies prevail over truth in the land. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not take Me into account,” declares the LORD.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
“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.

New American Standard Bible
“They bend their tongues like their bows; Lies and not truth prevail in the land; For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,” declares the LORD.

NASB 1995
“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.

NASB 1977
“And 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.

Legacy Standard Bible
“They bend their tongue like their bow; Lies and unfaithfulness prevail in the land, For they go onward from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,” declares Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
“They bend their tongue like their bow; [Their] lies and not truth prevail and grow strong in the land; For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know and understand and acknowledge Me,” says the LORD.

Christian Standard Bible
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
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.

American Standard Version
And they bend their tongue, as it were their bow, for falsehood; and they are grown strong in the land, but not for truth: for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith Jehovah.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they shoot their tongue like what is in their bow with lying, and they are not heroic for the truth in the earth, because they went out from evil to evil, and they have not known me, says LORD JEHOVAH

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they have bent their tongue like a bow: falsehood and not faithfulness has prevailed upon the earth; for they have gone on from evil to evil, and have not known me, saith the Lord.

Contemporary English Version
The LORD replied: Lies come from the mouths of my people, like arrows from a bow. With each dishonest deed their power increases, and not one of them will admit that I am God.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they have bent their tongue, as a bow, for lies, and not for truth: they have strengthened themselves upon the earth, for they have proceeded from evil to evil, and me they have not known, saith the Lord.

English Revised Version
And they bend their tongue as it were their bow for falsehood; and they are grown strong in the land, but not for truth: for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They use their tongues like bows that shoot arrows. Lies and dishonesty rule the land. They go from one evil thing to another, and they don't know me," declares the LORD.

Good News Translation
They are always ready to tell lies; dishonesty instead of truth rules the land. The LORD says, "My people do one evil thing after another and do not acknowledge me as their God."

International Standard Version
They use their tongues like a bow. Lies rather than truth fly throughout the land. They progress from one evil to another, and they don't know me," declares the LORD.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And they bend their tongue, their bow of falsehood; And they are grown mighty in the land, but not for truth; For they proceed from evil to evil, And Me they know not, Saith the LORD.

Literal Standard Version
“And they bend their tongue, | Their bow [is] a lie, | And they have not been mighty for steadfastness in the land, | For they have gone forth from evil to evil, | And they have not known Me,” | A declaration of YHWH!

Majority Standard Bible
“They bend their tongues like bows; lies prevail over truth in the land. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not take Me into account,” declares the LORD.

New American Bible
They ready their tongues like a drawn bow; with lying, and not with truth, they are powerful in the land. They go from evil to evil, and me they do not know—oracle of the LORD.

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

New Revised Standard Version
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.

New Heart English Bible
"They bend their tongue as 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," says the LORD.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
“They bend their tongue, as their bow, for falsehood. They have grown strong in the land, but not for truth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they don’t know me,” says Yahweh.

Young's Literal Translation
And they bend their tongue, their bow is a lie, And not for stedfastness have they been mighty in the land, For from evil unto evil they have gone forth, And Me they have not known, An affirmation of Jehovah!

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Lament over Zion
2If only I had a traveler’s lodge in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a crowd of faithless people. 3“They bend their tongues like bows; lies prevail over truth in the land. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not take Me into account,” declares the LORD. 4“Let everyone guard against his neighbor; do not trust any brother, for every brother deals craftily, and every friend spreads slander.…

Cross References
1 Corinthians 15:34
Sober up as you ought, and stop sinning; for some of you are ignorant of God. I say this to your shame.

Leviticus 19:11
You must not steal. You must not lie or deceive one another.

Judges 2:10
After that whole generation had also been gathered to their fathers, another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works that He had done for Israel.

1 Samuel 2:12
Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD

Psalm 64:3
who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows,

Isaiah 1:3
The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand."

Isaiah 3:5
The people will oppress one another, man against man, neighbor against neighbor; the young will rise up against the old, and the base against the honorable.


Treasury of Scripture

And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth on the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, said the LORD.

they bend.

Jeremiah 9:5,8
And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity…

Psalm 52:2-4
Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully…

Psalm 64:3,4
Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words: …

valiant.

Matthew 10:31-33
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows…

Mark 8:38
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

for they.

Jeremiah 7:26
Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.

2 Timothy 3:13
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

they know.

Jeremiah 4:22
For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

Jeremiah 22:16
He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD.

Judges 2:10
And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

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Acknowledge Affirmation Bend Bent Bow Earth Evil Faith False. Falsehood Forth Good Grown Lies Mighty Prevail Proceed Ready Shoot Sin Strong Tongue Tongues Triumph Truth Valiant Words
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Acknowledge Affirmation Bend Bent Bow Earth Evil Faith False. Falsehood Forth Good Grown Lies Mighty Prevail Proceed Ready Shoot Sin Strong Tongue Tongues Triumph Truth Valiant Words
Jeremiah 9
1. Jeremiah laments the people for their manifold sins;
9. and for their judgment.
12. Disobedience is the cause of their bitter calamity.
17. He exhorts to mourn for their destruction;
23. and to trust not in themselves, but in God.
25. He threatens both Jews and Gentiles.














(3) Like their bow for lies.--The inserted words turn the boldness of the metaphor into a comparatively tame simile. They bend their tongue to be their bow of lies. The same figure meets us in Psalm 57:4; Psalm 58:7; Psalm 64:3.

They are not valiant for the truth upon the earth.--Better, they are not mighty for truth, i.e., faithfulness, in the land--i.e., they do not rule faithfully. It is not without some regret that we part with a phrase which has gained something of a proverbial character as applied to the champions of speculative truth or abstract right, but the above gives the true meaning of the Hebrew.

They know not me.--"Know" in the sense of acknowledging and obeying (1Samuel 2:12; Job 18:21). This was the root evil from which all other evils issued. . . .

Verse 3. - And they bend their tongues, etc.; rather, and they bend their tongue as their bow of falsehood, and they use not their valor in (literally, according to) good faith. There is a sad, stern irony in these words, which remind us of Isaiah's (Isaiah 5:22) "valiant men - for drinking wine" and of our own prophet's repetition of himself in Jeremiah 22:10, "Their valor is - untruth." A less pointed form of the same figurative statement is that of the psalmist in Psalm 64:3. Upon the earth; rather, in the land. The Authorized Version pays very little regard to the context in its rendering of the ambiguous word erec.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“They bend
וַֽיַּדְרְכ֤וּ (way·yaḏ·rə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1869: To tread, to walk, to string a, bow

their tongue
לְשׁוֹנָם֙ (lə·šō·w·nām)
Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3956: The tongue

like their bows;
קַשְׁתָּ֣ם (qaš·tām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7198: A bow, for, shooting, the iris

lies
שֶׁ֔קֶר (še·qer)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8267: Deception, disappointment, falsehood

instead of
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

truth
לֶאֱמוּנָ֖ה (le·’ĕ·mū·nāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 530: Firmness, steadfastness, fidelity

prevail
גָּבְר֣וּ (gā·ḇə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1396: To be strong, to prevail, act insolently

in the land,
בָאָ֑רֶץ (ḇā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

for
כִּי֩ (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they proceed
יָצָ֛אוּ (yā·ṣā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

from evil
מֵרָעָ֨ה (mê·rā·‘āh)
Preposition-m | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

evil,
רָעָ֧ה ׀ (rā·‘āh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

and they do not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

take Me into account,”
יָדָ֖עוּ (yā·ḏā·‘ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3045: To know

declares
נְאֻם־ (nə·’um-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle

the LORD.
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 9:3 They bend their tongue as it were (Jer.)
Jeremiah 9:2
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