Jeremiah 9:5

5 And each at his friend they mock, And truth they do not speak, They taught their tongue to speak falsehood, To commit iniquity they have laboured.

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 And they bend their tongue, their bow [is] a lie, And not for stedfastness have they been mighty in the land, For from evil unto evil they have gone forth, And Me they have not known, An affirmation of Jehovah!

4 Each of his friend -- beware ye, And on any brother, do not trust, For every brother doth utterly supplant, For every friend slanderously doth walk,

5 And each at his friend they mock, And truth they do not speak, They taught their tongue to speak falsehood, To commit iniquity they have laboured.

6 thy dwelling [is] in the midst of deceit, Through deceit they refused to know Me, An affirmation of Jehovah.

7 Therefore, thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Lo, I am refining them, and have tried them, For how do I do because of the daughter of My people?