Jeremiah 9:5

5 Everyone will make sport of his neighbour with deceit, not saying what is true: their tongues have been trained to say false words; they are twisted, hating to come back.

Jeremiah 9:5 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 9:5

And they will deceive everyone his neighbour
In conversation, with lying words; and in trade and commerce, by art and tricking: and will not speak the truth;
with respect to facts they report, or goods they sell: they have taught their tongue to speak lies;
and become so accustomed to lying that they cannot do otherwise; it is as it were natural to them: and weary themselves to commit iniquity;
spared no pains to come at it, nor any in it, and go on even to weariness; are more laborious and indefatigable in committing sin than good men are in doing good; which shows great folly and stupidity. The Targum is,

``they are become foolish, they have erred.''

Jeremiah 9:5 In-Context

3 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.

4 Let everyone keep watch on his neighbour, and put no faith in any brother: for every brother will certainly be tricking his brother, and every neighbour will go about saying evil.

5 Everyone will make sport of his neighbour with deceit, not saying what is true: their tongues have been trained to say false words; they are twisted, hating to come back.

6 There is wrong on wrong, deceit on deceit; they have given up the knowledge of me, says the Lord.

7 So the Lord of armies has said, See, I will make them soft in the fire and put them to the test; this I will do because of their evil-doing.