Jeremiah 8:5
New International Version
Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.

New Living Translation
Then why do these people stay on their self-destructive path? Why do the people of Jerusalem refuse to turn back? They cling tightly to their lies and will not turn around.

English Standard Version
Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit; they refuse to return.

Berean Standard Bible
Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.

King James Bible
Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

New King James Version
Why has this people slidden back, Jerusalem, in a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return.

New American Standard Bible
“Why has this people, Jerusalem, Turned away in continual apostasy? They hold on to deceit, They refuse to return.

NASB 1995
“Why then has this people, Jerusalem, Turned away in continual apostasy? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return.

NASB 1977
“Why then has this people, Jerusalem, Turned away in continual apostasy? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return.

Legacy Standard Bible
Why then has this people, Jerusalem, Turned away in continual faithlessness? They hold fast to deceit; They refuse to return.

Amplified Bible
“Why then has this people of Jerusalem Turned away with a perpetual turning away [from Me]? They hold tightly to deceit (idolatry); They refuse to repent and return [to God].

Christian Standard Bible
Why have these people turned away? Why is Jerusalem always turning away? They take hold of deceit; they refuse to return.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Why have these people turned away? Why is Jerusalem always turning away? They take hold of deceit; they refuse to return.

American Standard Version
Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Why does this backsliding, shameless people return to Jerusalem? They held fast to deceit and they chose not to return to God

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Wherefore has this my people turned away with a shameless revolting, and strengthened themselves in their willfulness, and refused to return?

Contemporary English Version
So why do you refuse to come back to me? Why do you hold so tightly to your false gods?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Why then is this people in Jerusalem turned away with a stubborn revolting? they have laid hold on lying, and have refused to return.

English Revised Version
Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The people of Jerusalem turned away from me without ever returning. They still cling to deceit. They refuse to return.

Good News Translation
Why then, my people, do you turn away from me without ever turning back? You cling to your idols and refuse to return to me.

International Standard Version
Why has this people turned away? Why does Jerusalem continue in apostasy? They hold on to deceit and refuse to repent.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back By a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, They refuse to return.

Literal Standard Version
Why has this people of Jerusalem | Turned back—a continuous backsliding? They have kept hold on deceit, | They have refused to turn back.

Majority Standard Bible
Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.

New American Bible
Why then do these people resist with persistent rebellion? Why do they cling to deception, refuse to turn back?

NET Bible
Why, then, do these people of Jerusalem continually turn away from me in apostasy? They hold fast to their deception. They refuse to turn back to me.

New Revised Standard Version
Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They have held fast to deceit, they have refused to return.

New Heart English Bible
Why then do these people of Jerusalem turn away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit; they refuse to return.

Webster's Bible Translation
Why then hath this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

World English Bible
Why then have the people of Jerusalem fallen back by a perpetual backsliding? They cling to deceit. They refuse to return.

Young's Literal Translation
Wherefore hath this people of Jerusalem Turned back -- a perpetual backsliding? They have kept hold on deceit, They have refused to turn back.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judah's Sin and Punishment
4So you are to tell them this is what the LORD says: “Do men fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not return? 5Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return. 6I have listened and heard; they do not speak what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, asking, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone has pursued his own course like a horse charging into battle.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 5:3
O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

Jeremiah 5:6
Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces. For their rebellious acts are many, and their unfaithful deeds are numerous.

Jeremiah 5:27
Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich.

Jeremiah 7:24
Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.

Jeremiah 9:6
You dwell in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to know Me," declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 14:7
Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for the sake of Your name. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against You.

Daniel 9:11
All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey Your voice; so the oath and the curse written in the Law of Moses the servant of God has been poured out on us, because we have sinned against You.


Treasury of Scripture

Why then is this people of Jerusalem slid back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

slidden.

Jeremiah 2:32
Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

Jeremiah 3:11-14
And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah…

Jeremiah 7:24-26
But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward…

they hold.

Jeremiah 9:6
Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.

Proverbs 4:13
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Isaiah 30:10
Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

they refuse.

Jeremiah 5:3
O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

Isaiah 1:20
But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Zechariah 7:11
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

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Always Apostasy Backsliding Cling Continual Deceit Fast Hold Jerusalem Kept Perpetual Refuse Refused Slidden Turn Turned Turning Wherefore
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Always Apostasy Backsliding Cling Continual Deceit Fast Hold Jerusalem Kept Perpetual Refuse Refused Slidden Turn Turned Turning Wherefore
Jeremiah 8
1. The calamity of the Jews, both dead and alive.
4. He upbraids their foolish and shameless impenitency.
13. He shows their grievous judgment;
18. and bewails their desperate estate.














(5) Slidden back . . . backsliding.--The English fails to give the full emphasis of the re-iteration of the same word as in the previous verse. Why doth this people of Jerusalem turn away with a perpetual turning? Here, so far, there was no retracing the evil path which they had chosen.

I hearkened and heard.--Jehovah himself is introduced here, as probably in the question of the previous verse, as speaking, listening for cries of penitence, and hearing only the words of the evildoers.

Rusheth.--The word is primarily used of the rushing of a torrent (Isaiah 8:8; Isaiah 10:22; Isaiah 28:17), and is applied to the frantic impetuosity with which Israel was rushing into evil, and therefore into the misery that followed it.

Verse 5. - Slidden back... backsliding. The verb is the same verb (in another conjugation) as in Ver. 4, and the noun is a derivative from it. The Authorized Version, therefore, has slightly weakened the force of the argument. They hold fast deceit. They cling to a false view of their relation to their God (comp. Jeremiah 4:2; Jeremiah 5:2).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Why [then]
מַדּ֨וּעַ (mad·dū·a‘)
Interrogative
Strong's 4069: Why? for what reason?

have these
הַזֶּ֛ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

people
הָעָ֥ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

turned away?
שׁוֹבְבָ֜ה (šō·wḇ·ḇāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

Why does Jerusalem
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם (yə·rū·šā·lim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

always turn away?
מְשֻׁבָ֣ה (mə·šu·ḇāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4878: Turning back, apostasy

They cling
הֶחֱזִ֙יקוּ֙ (he·ḥĕ·zî·qū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2388: To fasten upon, to seize, be strong, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquer

to deceit;
בַּתַּרְמִ֔ית (bat·tar·mîṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8649: Perhaps treachery

they refuse
מֵאֲנ֖וּ (mê·’ă·nū)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3985: To refuse

to return.
לָשֽׁוּב׃ (lā·šūḇ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 8:5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem (Jer.)
Jeremiah 8:4
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