They have venomlikethe venomof a serpent;Likea deafcobrathat stopsup its ear,
The womansaidto the serpent,"From the fruitof the treesof the gardenwe may eat;
The LORDsmelledthe soothingaroma;and the LORDsaidto Himself,"I will neveragaincursethe groundon accountof man,for the intentof man'sheartis evilfrom his youth;and I will neveragaindestroyeverylivingthing,as I have done.
[Yet] his foodin his stomachis changedTo the venomof cobraswithinhim.
"He sucksthe poisonof cobras;The viper'stongueslayshim.
They sharpentheir tonguesas a serpent;Poisonof a viperis undertheir lips.Selah.
Purifyme with hyssop,and I shall be clean;Washme, and I shall be whiterthansnow.
Ifthe serpentbitesbefore being charmed,thereis noprofitfor the charmer.
The nursingchild will playby the holeof the cobra,And the weanedchild will puthis handon the viper'sden.
"For behold,I am sendingserpentsagainst you, Adders,for whichthereis nocharm,And they will biteyou," declaresthe LORD.
"You serpents,you broodof vipers,howwill you escapethe sentenceof hell?
But when he sawmanyof the Phariseesand Sadduceescomingfor baptism,he saidto them, "You broodof vipers,whowarnedyou to fleefrom the wrathto come?
"THEIR THROATIS AN OPENGRAVE,WITH THEIR TONGUESTHEY KEEP DECEIVING,""THE POISONOF ASPSIS UNDERTHEIR LIPS";
"Their wineis the venomof serpents,And the deadlypoisonof cobras.
But no onecantamethe tongue;[it is] a restlessevil[and] fullof deadlypoison.
