^2 [a](A)Oh that I had in the desert
A wayfarers’ lodging place;
That I might leave my people
And go from them!
For all of them are ^(B)adulterers,
An assembly of ^(C)treacherous men.
³ “They ^(D)bend their tongue like their bow;
Lies and not truth prevail in the land;
For they ^(E)proceed from evil to evil,
And they ^(F)do not know Me,” declares the Lord.
⁴ “Let everyone ^(G)be on guard against his neighbor,
And ^(H)do not trust any brother;
Because every ^(I)brother deals ^[b]craftily,
And every neighbor ^(J)goes about as a slanderer.
⁵ “Everyone ^(K)deceives his neighbor
And does not speak the truth,
They have taught their tongue to speak lies;
They ^(L)weary themselves committing iniquity.
⁶ “Your ^(M)dwelling is in the midst of deceit;
Through deceit they ^(N)refuse to know Me,” declares the Lord.

⁸ “Their ^(A)tongue is a deadly arrow;
It speaks deceit;
With his mouth one ^(B)speaks peace to his neighbor,
But inwardly he ^(C)sets an ambush for him.