Jeremiah 5:31 kjv
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
Jeremiah 5:31 nkjv
The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?
Jeremiah 5:31 niv
The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?
Jeremiah 5:31 esv
the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?
Jeremiah 5:31 nlt
the prophets give false prophecies,
and the priests rule with an iron hand.
Worse yet, my people like it that way!
But what will you do when the end comes?
Jeremiah 5 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| False Prophets/Leaders | ||
| Deut 18:20-22 | "But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name that I have not commanded... he shall die." | Consequence for prophesying falsely. |
| Jer 14:14 | "The prophets are prophesying to you a lying vision... the deception of their own minds." | God's direct denunciation of false prophecy. |
| Jer 23:21 | "I did not send these prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied." | False prophets acting without God's command. |
| Ezek 13:6 | "They have envisioned futility and divined lies... God has not sent them." | Description of the deceptive nature of false prophecy. |
| Zech 13:2-3 | "I will remove the names of the idols from the land... and also the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness." | Prophethood linked to false worship will be removed. |
| Matt 7:15 | "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." | New Testament warning against deceptive leaders. |
| 2 Pet 2:1 | "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you." | Continuum of false teachers in NT. |
| 1 John 4:1 | "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits... because many false prophets have gone out." | Imperative to discern and test spiritual claims. |
| Corrupt Priests/Ruling | ||
| Isa 1:10 | "Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah." | Corrupt leaders likened to wicked cities. |
| Isa 56:10-11 | "His watchmen are blind... sleeping, loving to slumber. They are greedy dogs." | Spiritual leaders characterized as self-serving. |
| Ezek 22:26 | "Her priests have violated My law... have no distinction between the holy and the profane." | Priests failing their core duty and leading astray. |
| Mal 2:8 | "But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction." | Priests failing to teach rightly, causing others to sin. |
| Matt 23:1-4 | "The scribes and the Pharisees... tie up heavy burdens... but they themselves are unwilling to move them." | Jesus' denunciation of hypocritical religious leaders. |
| John 11:48-50 | Caiaphas, the high priest, advises that it's "expedient for us that one man should die." | Self-serving manipulation of religious office. |
| People's Complicity/Love for Sin | ||
| Isa 30:9-10 | "They are a rebellious people... who say to the seers, 'You must not see visions' and to the prophets, 'You must not prophesy to us what is right.'" | People rejecting truth and demanding pleasant lies. |
| Hos 4:6 | "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you." | People's complicity in their own spiritual decline. |
| John 3:19 | "Men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil." | New Testament principle of preferring sin over truth. |
| 2 Tim 4:3-4 | "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled... will turn aside to myths." | End-time warning about people desiring comforting falsehoods. |
| Rom 1:32 | "They not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them." | Affirming and encouraging others in their sin. |
| Inevitability of Judgment/The End | ||
| Prov 1:28-31 | "Then they will call on Me, but I will not answer... because they hated knowledge." | People facing consequences of rejecting wisdom. |
| Isa 10:3 | "Now what will you do in the day of punishment... to whom will you flee for help?" | Similar rhetorical question about impending judgment. |
| Jer 8:20 | "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, And we are not saved." | The bitter realization that judgment has arrived. |
| Heb 10:31 | "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God." | Grave warning about God's wrath and judgment. |
| Rev 6:17 | "For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" | Question implying no one can stand before divine wrath. |
Jeremiah 5 verses
Jeremiah 5 31 Meaning
Jeremiah 5:31 paints a grim picture of spiritual corruption in Judah: those meant to be divine spokesmen (prophets) deliver false messages, and those entrusted with upholding God's law (priests) abuse their authority for personal gain or self-rule. Tragically, God's own people do not merely tolerate this deceit and misconduct but actively desire and love such a distorted spiritual environment. The verse culminates with a penetrating, rhetorical question about their fate when divine judgment inevitably arrives, implying utter unpreparedness for the consequences of their chosen path.
Jeremiah 5 31 Context
Jeremiah 5:31 concludes a scathing indictment of Judah and Jerusalem's spiritual and moral decay. The entire fifth chapter details various sins pervading society, from infidelity and injustice among common people to outright rebellion against God. Jeremiah describes the spiritual blindness (v.21), the exploitation of the weak (v.26-28), and the people's blatant refusal to acknowledge God (v.1-5, 23). This verse, therefore, highlights the leadership's role in this corruption, specifically the prophets who speak lies and priests who rule improperly. Critically, it then implicates the people for loving this arrangement. This entire section serves as a theological justification for the impending severe judgment and exile at the hands of Babylon, which God is raising up (Jer 5:15-17). Historically, this prophecy occurs during the final decades of the Kingdom of Judah, before the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, a time characterized by spiritual syncretism, political instability, and a succession of kings who mostly "did evil in the eyes of the LORD."
Jeremiah 5 31 Word analysis
- The prophets (הַנְּבִיאִים, han-nəḇîʼîm): These individuals claimed to speak God's word, divinely chosen and inspired. Their foundational role was to call the nation to covenant faithfulness. The definite article highlights the specific class of established prophets in Judah.
- prophesy falsely (שִׁקְּרוּ, šiqqerū): From the root š-q-r, meaning "to lie, deceive, deal falsely." This is a grave charge: these prophets deliberately fabricated messages or presented their own opinions as divine truth. This actively violated Deut 18:20 and jeopardized the spiritual health of the nation, misleading them with false hopes or assurances.
- and the priests (וְהַכֹּהֲנִים, wəhak-kōhănîm): The religious functionaries responsible for temple service, offering sacrifices, teaching the Torah, and making judgments according to God's law. They were to be the spiritual custodians and instructors.
- rule by their own power (יִרְדּוּ עַל־יְדֵיהֶם, yirdū ʻal-yəḏêhem):
- rule (יִרְדּוּ, yirdū): From rāḏāh, meaning "to rule, dominate, govern." Here, with "by their own power," it implies tyrannical or oppressive rule, a perversion of their role as servants and guides.
- by their own power (עַל־יְדֵיהֶם, ʻal-yəḏêhem): Literally, "upon their hands." This idiom signifies self-derived authority. They ruled by their own strength, initiative, or personal will, rather than by God's prescribed methods or divine anointing. It points to corruption, leveraging office for personal influence or wealth.
- and My people (וְעַמִּי, wəʻammî): The possessive "My" is profoundly significant and tragic. It underscores God's continuing covenant relationship and affection despite their apostasy. They are His chosen people, uniquely called, yet deeply corrupted.
- love to have it so (כֵן אָהֵבוּ, kēn ʼāhēḇū):
- love (אָהֵבוּ, ʼāhēḇū): From ʼāhaḇ, meaning "to love, desire, be fond of." This word is crucial. It shows the people's complicity, not just passivity. They actively desired the false prophecy and corrupt rule, perhaps because it offered comfort, allowed them to continue in sin without conviction, or affirmed their distorted values. They preferred soothing lies over challenging truth.
- to have it so (כֵן, kēn): Meaning "thus, so, in this way." It refers to the exact preceding state of corrupt prophecy and leadership. The people love this exact situation.
- But what will you do (וּמָה תַּעֲשׂוּ, ūmâ taʻaśû): A stark, rhetorical question introducing inevitable consequences. The implied answer is: "Nothing." They will be utterly unprepared and defenseless when judgment arrives.
- in the end? (לָאַחֲרִית, lā’aḥărît): From ʼaḥărît, meaning "the end, latter end, outcome, future." It refers to the inevitable conclusion, the consequence that will eventually befall them due to their choices—for Judah, the Babylonian invasion and exile. This questions ultimate destiny and accountability.
Words-group analysis
- "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power": This phrase details a twin-headed crisis in Judah's spiritual leadership. Both offices, divinely instituted to lead God's people in truth and righteousness, have been perverted. Prophets lie, violating divine revelation, and priests dominate through human will rather than divine law, subverting justice and true worship. This paints a picture of comprehensive institutional failure.
- "and My people love to have it so": This chilling admission reveals the people's deep spiritual complicity. They are not unwilling victims but active participants in the decay, desiring falsehood over truth. This illustrates a profound collective spiritual sickness, where an apostate heart finds comfort in corruption rather than repents from it. The possessive "My people" underscores God's heartbreak over their chosen path.
- "But what will you do in the end?": This final, rhetorical question serves as an inescapable challenge. It pushes the people to consider the ultimate, unavoidable consequences of their spiritual compromise and active rebellion. The "end" refers to the day of God's wrath and judgment (likely the Babylonian exile for the original audience), for which their current path has left them utterly unprepared.
Jeremiah 5 31 Bonus section
The synergy of false prophets, self-ruling priests, and complicit people described in this verse forms a picture of a "spiritual echo chamber." The leaders provide what the people want to hear, and the people affirm the leaders, creating a feedback loop of corruption that prevents anyone from truly hearing or obeying God. This spiritual feedback loop ensures the decay continues unhindered until divine intervention. This rejection of divine authority by both leaders and led illustrates a deep theological concept: when people forsake the true God, they create gods and systems in their own image, often flattering their own sinfulness, rather than confronting it. The original audience would have deeply understood the weight of religious leadership as they revered both prophets and priests; Jeremiah here systematically dismantles any remaining shred of their perceived spiritual legitimacy. The polemic is direct: the very structures meant to maintain the covenant with God have become instruments of rebellion.
Jeremiah 5 31 Commentary
Jeremiah 5:31 stands as a profound summary of Judah's spiritual crisis. It outlines a tripartite corruption: prophets speak lies, priests rule autocratically, and tragically, God's people prefer this broken system. This collective moral failure, where divine truth is abandoned by leaders and desired not by the led, leads to spiritual blindness and a false sense of security. The severe indictment of leaders is paralleled by the people's responsibility for actively endorsing spiritual darkness over light. The concluding rhetorical question "But what will you do in the end?" forces contemplation on the inevitable judgment that follows such pervasive unfaithfulness, revealing the terrifying inadequacy of human strength or fabricated comfort when divine accountability arrives. It implies that their cherished deceptions and corrupt leadership will offer no salvation from the coming doom.