Jeremiah 8:5

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.

Parallel Translations

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

Hebrew Names Version
Why then is this people of Yerushalayim slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

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

English Standard Version
Why then has this people turned away in 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.

New Century Version
Why, then, have the people of Jerusalem gone the wrong way and not turned back? They believe their own lies and refuse to turn around and come back.

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].

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

Geneva Bible (1587)
Wherefore is this people of Ierusalem turned backe by a perpetuall rebellion? they gaue themselues to deceit, and would not returne.

Legacy Standard Bible
Why then has this people, Jerusalem,Turned away in continual faithlessness?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.

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

Complete Jewish Bible
Why do these people keep backsliding? Why is their backsliding so persistent? They cling to deceit and refuse to return!

Darby Translation
Why hath this people of Jerusalem slidden back with a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

Easy-to-Read Version
The people of Judah went the wrong way. But why do the people of Jerusalem continue going the wrong way? They believe their own lies. They refuse to turn around and come back.

George Lamsa Translation
Why then is this people of Jerusalem perpetually backsliding? They hold fast to deceit, they refuse to repent.

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.

Lexham English Bible
Why has this people, Jerusalem, turned away in enduring apostasy? They have kept hold of deceit, they have refused to return.

Literal Translation
Why has this people, Jerusalem, turned away to a never ending apostasy? They hold fast to deceit. They refuse to return.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wherfore then is this people and Ierusalem gone so farre backe, that they turne not againe? They are euer the longer the more obstinate, and will not be conuerted.

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

Bible in Basic English
Why do these people of Jerusalem go back, for ever turning away? they will not give up their deceit, they will not come back.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

King James Version (1611)
Why then is this people of Ierusalem slidden backe, by a perpetual backesliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to returne.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wherefore then is this people of Hierusalem gone so farre backe, that they turne not againe? They are euer the longer the more obstinate, and wyll not be conuerted.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Wherefore has this my people turned away with a shameless revolting, and strengthened themselves in their willfulness, and 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.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whi therfor is this puple in Jerusalem turned awei bi turnyng awei ful of strijf? Thei han take leesyng, and nolden turne ayen.

Update Bible Version
Why then has this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a 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.

New English Translation
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 King James Version
Why has this people slidden back, Jerusalem, in a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast 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.

New Life Bible
Why then have the people of Jerusalem always turned away from Me? They hold on to what is false, and will not return.

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

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Wherefore hath this people of Jerusalem apostatized with an enduring apostacy, - Taken fast hold of deceit, Refused to come back?

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.

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

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Why then has this people, Jerusalem, Turned away in continual apostasy? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return.

Contextual Overview

⁴ And thou hast said unto them: Thus said Jehovah, Do they fall, and not rise? Doth he turn back, and not return? ⁵ Wherefore hath this people of Jerusalem Turned back -- a perpetual backsliding? They have kept hold on deceit, They have refused to turn back. ⁶ I have given attention, yea, I hearken, They do not speak right, No man hath repented of his wickedness, Saying, What have I done? Every one hath turned to his courses, As a horse is rushing into battle. ⁷ Even a stork in the heavens hath known her seasons, And turtle, and swallow, and crane, Have watched the time of their coming, And -- My people have not known the judgment of Jehovah. ⁸ How do ye say, We [are] wise, And the law of Jehovah [is] with us? Surely, lo, falsely it hath wrought, The false pen of scribes. ⁹ Ashamed have been the wise, They have been affrighted, and are captured, Lo, against a word of Jehovah they kicked, And the wisdom of what -- have they? ¹⁰ Therefore, I give their wives to others, Their fields to dispossessors, For from the least even unto the greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, From prophet even unto priest, every one is dealing falsely. ¹¹ And they heal the breach of the daughter of my people slightly, Saying, Peace, peace! and there is no peace. ¹² They were ashamed when they did abomination! Yea, they are not at all ashamed, And blushing they have not known, Therefore, they do fall among falling ones, In the time of their inspection they stumble, said Jehovah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

slidden: Jeremiah 2:32, Jeremiah 3:11-14, Jeremiah 7:24-26, Hosea 4:16, Hosea 11:7

they hold: Jeremiah 9:6, Proverbs 4:13, Isaiah 30:10, Isaiah 44:20, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, Revelation 2:25

they refuse: Jeremiah 5:3, Isaiah 1:20, Zechariah 7:11, John 5:40, Hebrews 12:25

Reciprocal: Exodus 7:14 - he refuseth Psalms 53:3 - Every Proverbs 14:14 - backslider Isaiah 5:18 - draw Jeremiah 2:19 - and thy Jeremiah 8:19 - Why Jeremiah 13:10 - evil Jeremiah 14:10 - have they Jeremiah 15:6 - thou art Jeremiah 15:7 - since Ezekiel 5:6 - for they Ezekiel 14:6 - Repent Daniel 9:11 - all Hosea 7:10 - and they Amos 4:6 - yet

Cross-References

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of the life of Noah, in the second month, in the seventeenth day of the month, in this day have been broken up all fountains of the great deep, and the net-work of the heavens hath been opened,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding?.... These people fill into sin, and rise not again by repentance; they turn out of the good ways of God and religion, and return not again; they backslide and revolt from the Lord, and they continue in their revolt and rebellion; their backsliding is an everlasting one; there is no hope of their repentance and recovery: it is a vehement and passionate expostulation about the people of the Jews, founded upon the former general observation, showing them to be the worst of all people: it is a common saying, "it is a long lane that has no turning"; but these people, having departed from the Lord, return no more. A very learned man renders the words, "why does Jerusalem turn away this people with an obstinate aversion?" b that is, the rulers and governors of Jerusalem, as in Matthew 23:37 or rather thus, "why does a stubborn aversion turn away this people, O Jerusalem?" and so they are an address to the magistrates and inhabitants of Jerusalem.

They hold fast deceit; practise it, and continue in the practice of it, both with God and man:

they refuse to return: to the Lord, to his worship, and to the right ways of holiness and truth, from whence they had erred; see Jeremiah 5:3.

b מדוע שובבה העם הזה ירושלם משבה נצחת "quare avertit hunc populum Hierosolyma aversione pertinaci? [vel] quare avertit populum hunc", O Jerusalem, "aversio pertinax?" De Dieu.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When men act as in Jeremiah 8:4, why is God’s own people alone an exception?

Slidden back ... backsliding - The same words as “turn” and “return” in Jeremiah 8:4. They should be rendered, “Why doth this people of Jerusalem turn away with a perpetual turning?”

Deceit - i. e., idolatry; because men worship in it that which is false, and it is false to the worshippers.

Refuse - From a feeling of dislike.