9:2 (9:1) I wish I had a lodging place in the desert
where I could spend some time like a weary traveler. 1
Then I would desert my people
and walk away from them
because they are all unfaithful to God,
a congregation 2 of people that has been disloyal to him. 3
9:3 The Lord says, 4
“These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows.
Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. 5
They have become powerful in the land,
but they have not done so by honest means. 6
Indeed, they do one evil thing after another 7
and do not pay attention to me. 8
9:4 Everyone must be on his guard around his friends.
He must not even trust any of his relatives. 9
For every one of them will find some way to cheat him. 10
And all of his friends will tell lies about him.
9:5 One friend deceives another
and no one tells the truth.
These people have trained themselves 11 to tell lies.
They do wrong and are unable to repent.
9:6 They do one act of violence after another,
and one deceitful thing after another. 12
They refuse to pay attention to me,” 13
says the Lord.