King James Version

Jeremiah 9:3

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.

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Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

In the Hebrew text this line is Jeremiah 9:2.

וַֽיַּדְרְכ֤וּvayadrekhvand treadדָּרַךְconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and tread”, the next action in the storyH1869to tread; by implication, to walk; also to string abow (by treading on it in bending)archer, bend, come, draw, go (over), guide, lead (forth), thresh, tread (down), walk.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).לְשׁוֹנָם֙leshonamtongueלָשׁוֹןnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “tongue”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3956the tongue (of man or animals), used literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech), and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of water)[phrase] babbler, bay, [phrase] evil speaker, language, talker, tongue, wedge.קַשְׁתָּ֣םqashtambowקֶשֶׁתnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “bow”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7198a bow, forshooting (hence, figuratively, strength) or the iris[idiom] arch(-er), [phrase] arrow, bow(-man, -shot).שֶׁ֔קֶרsheqerwithout a causeשֶׁקֶרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “without a cause”, the ordinary formH8267an untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial)without a cause, deceit(-ful), false(-hood, -ly), feignedly, liar, [phrase] lie, lying, vain (thing), wrongfully.וְלֹ֥אveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…לֶאֱמוּנָ֖הleemunahto faithאֱמוּנָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “to faith”, the ordinary formH530literally firmness; figuratively security; morally fidelityfaith(-ful, -ly, -ness, (man)), set office, stability, steady, truly, truth, verily.גָּבְר֣וּgavervbe greatגָּבַרverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “be great”, a completed actionH1396to be strong; by implication, to prevail, act insolentlyexceed, confirm, be great, be mighty, prevail, put to more (strength), strengthen, be stronger, be valiant.בָאָ֑רֶץvaaretsin earthאֶרֶץpreposition, with the article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “in earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.כִּי֩kiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…מֵרָעָ֨הmeraahfrom badרַעpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “from bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).רָעָ֧הraahbadרַעnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…יָצָ֛אוּyatsavbring forthיָצָאverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “bring forth”, a completed actionH3318to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.[idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail…וְאֹתִ֥יveotiand object markerאֵתconjunction, particle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “and object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).לֹֽאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יָדָ֖עוּyadavknowיָדַעverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “know”, a completed actionH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…נְאֻםneumsaidנְאֻםnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “said”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5002an oracle(hath) said, saith.יְהוָֽהyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(9-2) 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.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

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!

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.

Darby Translation

And they bend their tongue, their bow of falsehood, and not for fidelity are they valiant in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith Jehovah.

Douay-Rheims

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.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(9-2) 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.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

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.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

καὶ ἐνέτειναν τὴν γλῶσσαν αὐτῶν ὡς τόξον· ψεῦδος, καὶ οὐ πίστις ἐνίσχυσεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅτι ἐκ κακῶν εἰς κακὰ ἐξήλθοσαν, καὶ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν, φησὶ Κύριος.