Yahweh asks this question to make the people of Judah think about what they were saying. It can be translated as a statement. AT: "You think that you are wise because you have the law of Yahweh with you." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
These words tell the hearer to pay close attention to what follows.
# The deceitful pen of the scribes
The pen represents the words that the scribes write. AT: "The false things that the scribes write" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])
# has created deceit
"has given you false ideas"
# The wise men will be ashamed
This is irony because the wise men are normally honored for their wisdom. AT: "Those men who think they are wise will feel ashamed" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-irony]])
# dismayed
"terrified" or "shattered"
# Behold!
"Pay attention!"
# so what use is their wisdom?
This question expects a negative answer and is intended to make the hearers think about how little what they consider wisdom is really worth when they reject Yahweh's word. AT: "so what they think is wise does not do them any good." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
# because from the least to the greatest, all of them are greedy for dishonest gain! From the prophet to the priest, all of them practice deceit
See how you translated this in [Jeremiah 6:13](../06/13.md).
# because from the least to the greatest, all of them are greedy
The phrase "from the least to the greatest" shows that all the people of Judah are included in the phrase "all of them," regardless of how important they are. AT: "because all of them, including the least powerful, the most powerful, and everyone else, are greedy" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-merism]])
This refers to the most powerful and most important people. AT: "the greatest people" or "the most powerful people" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-nominaladj]])
The abstract noun "gain" can be expressed with the phrases "get more money" or "get more things." AT: "want to get more money by lying to people" or "strongly desire to get more things and will even trick people in order to get them" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]])
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