¹⁷ Have you not brought this on yourselves^(A)
    by forsaking^(B) the Lord your God
    when he led you in the way?
¹⁸ Now why go to Egypt^(C)
    to drink water from the Nile^[a]?^(D)
And why go to Assyria^(E)
    to drink water from the Euphrates?^(F)
19 Your wickedness will punish you;
    your backsliding^(G) will rebuke^(H) you.
Consider then and realize
    how evil and bitter^(I) it is for you
when you forsake^(J) the Lord your God
    and have no awe^(K) of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

³ “They make ready their tongue
    like a bow, to shoot lies;^(D)
it is not by truth
    that they triumph^[a] in the land.
They go from one sin to another;
    they do not acknowledge^(E) me,”
declares the Lord.
⁴ “Beware of your friends;^(F)
    do not trust anyone in your clan.^(G)
For every one of them is a deceiver,^[b](H)
    and every friend a slanderer.^(I)
5 Friend deceives friend,^(J)
    and no one speaks the truth.^(K)
They have taught their tongues to lie;^(L)
    they weary themselves with sinning.
⁶ You^[c] live in the midst of deception;^(M)
    in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,”
declares the Lord.

“See, I will refine^(N) and test^(O) them,
    for what else can I do
    because of the sin of my people?
⁸ Their tongue^(P) is a deadly arrow;
    it speaks deceitfully.
With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors,^(Q)
    but in their hearts they set traps^(R) for them.^(S)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge^(T) myself
    on such a nation as this?”