Parallel Verses

A Conservative Version

And they bend their tongue--their bow--for falsehood, and they have grown strong in the land, but not for truth. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, says LORD.

New American Standard Bible

“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.

King James Version

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.

Holman 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.

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.

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.

Amplified


“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.

Bible in Basic English

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.

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.

Julia Smith Translation

And they will bend their tongue, their bow, a lie: and they were not strong for faithfulness upon the land; for from evil to evil they went forth, and they knew me not, says Jehovah.

King James 2000

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, says the LORD.

Lexham Expanded Bible

And they bend their tongue [like] their bow, [for] falsehood and not truth is superior in the land, for they go forth from evil to evil, and they do not know me," {declares} Yahweh.

Modern King James verseion

And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies. But they are not mighty for the truth on the earth; for they go from evil to evil, and they do not know Me, says Jehovah.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

They bend their tongues like bows, to shoot out lies: As for the truth, they may nothing away with all in the world. For they go from one wickedness to another, and hold nothing of me, sayeth 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 Heart English Bible

"They bend their tongue, as 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 do not know me," says the LORD.

The Emphasized Bible

Who have prepared e their tongue as their bow of falsehood, And, not by faithfulness, have they become mighty in the land, - For from wickedness unto wickedness, have they gone forth, But me, have they not known, Declareth Yahweh.

Webster

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 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 don't know me, says Yahweh.

Youngs 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!

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
דּרך 
Darak 
Usage: 63

לשׁנה לשׁן לשׁון 
Lashown 
Usage: 116

קשׁת 
Qesheth 
Usage: 75

שׁקר 
Sheqer 
Usage: 113

but they are not valiant
גּבר 
Gabar 
Usage: 25

for the truth
אמנה אמוּנה 
'emuwnah 
Usage: 49

upon the earth
ארץ 
'erets 
Usage: 2504

יצא 
Yatsa' 
....out, ....forth, bring, come, proceed, go, depart,
Usage: 1068

not me, saith
נאם 
N@'um 
Usage: 376

References

Easton

Bow

Context Readings

Judah's Failures

2 Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging-place of wayfaring men, that I might leave my people, and go from them! For they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. 3 And they bend their tongue--their bow--for falsehood, and they have grown strong in the land, but not for truth. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, says LORD. 4 Take ye heed each one of his neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother, for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go about with slanders.

Cross References

Judges 2:10

And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them that did not know LORD, nor yet the work which he had wrought for Israel.

1 Samuel 2:12

Now the sons of Eli were base men; they knew not LORD.

Jeremiah 9:8

Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceit. He speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he lays wait for him.

Psalm 52:2-4

Thy tongue devises wickedness, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

Psalm 64:3-4

who have whet their tongue like a sword, and have aimed their arrows, even bitter words,

Psalm 120:2-4

Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.

Isaiah 59:3-5

For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. Your lips have spoken lies. Your tongue mutters wickedness.

Isaiah 59:13-15

transgressing and denying LORD, and turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

Jeremiah 7:26

Yet they hearkened not to me, nor inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff. They did worse than their fathers.

Jeremiah 9:5

And they will deceive each one his neighbor, and will not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies. They weary themselves to commit iniquity.

Jeremiah 22:16

He judged the cause of the poor and needy man, then it was well. Was not this to know me? says LORD.

Jeremiah 31:34

And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know LORD, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will

Hosea 4:1-3

Hear the word of LORD, ye sons of Israel, for LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

Micah 7:3-5

Their hands are upon that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler asks, and the judge [is ready] for a bribe. And the great man, he utters the evil desire of his soul. Thus they weave it together.

Matthew 10:31-33

Fear not therefore, ye are of worth more than many sparrows.

Mark 8:38

For whoever may be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy agents.

John 8:54-55

Jesus answered, If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. My Father is he who glorifies me, of whom ye say, He is our God.

John 17:3

And this is eternal life, that they should know thee the only TRUE God, and Jesus Christ whom thou sent.

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the good-news of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to every man who believes, both to the Jew first, and to the Greek.

Romans 1:28

And just as they did not approve having God in knowledge, God gave them over to an unfit mind, to do things that are not fit;

Romans 3:13

Their throat is an open grave. With their tongues they deceive. The poison of asps is under their lips,

2 Corinthians 4:4-6

in whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, in order for the light of the good-news of the glory of the Christ (who is a likeness of God) not to shine forth to them.

Philippians 1:28

And not being frightened in anything by those who oppose, which is indeed a sign of destruction to them, but to you of salvation, and this from God.

2 Timothy 3:13

But evil men and impostors will go forward to worse, leading astray and being led astray.

Jude 1:3

Beloved, making all diligence to write to you about the common salvation, I had need to write to you exhorting you to earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the sanctified.

Revelation 12:11

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony. And they loved not their life to the point of death.

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain