Jeremiah 6:13 describes a community where greed and dishonesty have spread from the lowest members to the highest leaders, so that everyone in the nation has become corrupt. The prophet Jeremiah speaks these words for the Lord to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, shortly before the Babylonian invasion that the book warns about.
“For from their least even to their greatest, everyone is given to covetousness. From the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.
Jeremiah 6:13 (WEB)
What Jeremiah 6:13 Means
The verse moves from the bottom of society to the top. “From their least even to their greatest” means that ordinary citizens and people of high standing alike have fixed their hearts on gaining more for themselves. The word “covetousness” points to a restless desire to take what belongs to others or to grab more than one needs. Greed is not presented as an occasional lapse but as the settled direction of the whole population.
The second half turns to the religious leaders. “From the prophet even to the priest” names the two groups who were supposed to speak God’s word and mediate between God and the people. When the text says “everyone deals falsely,” it means that those trusted to tell the truth and offer sacred service were also practicing deception. The verse does not promise that the nation will be spared or that the corruption will reverse on its own. It is a diagnosis, and the surrounding chapter shows that judgment follows.
The Context of Jeremiah 6:13
The book of Jeremiah is traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, who was called to speak to Judah in the late seventh and early sixth centuries before Christ. His audience was the southern kingdom in its final decades, a people who still had a temple, a king, and a royal city, yet were drifting from the covenant. Jeremiah was often rejected, and his message repeatedly confronted the complacency of those who assumed God would never allow Jerusalem to fall.
Verse 10 shows the prophet lamenting that no one will listen, and verse 11 describes God’s wrath as something he is weary of holding back. Verse 14 follows directly after our verse and exposes leaders who offer shallow comfort, crying “Peace, peace!” when there is no peace. Verse 16 then calls the people back to the old paths and the good way. Read in this setting, Jeremiah 6:13 is the core charge in a larger indictment: the corruption is so universal that even the leaders meant to restrain it have joined in, which explains why the peace they promise is false.
Key Phrases in Jeremiah 6:13
Proverbs 11:1
A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but accurate weights are his delight.
(WEB)
This verse contrasts false scales with honest weights, which gives a concrete picture of the deceptive dealing Jeremiah condemns. Reading it alongside Jeremiah 6:13 shows that God cares about fairness in everyday commerce as much as in religious speech.
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
(WEB)
Paul identifies the love of money as a root of many harms, which helps explain the spreading covetousness Jeremiah describes. Together the two passages show that the desire to have more has consequences that reach from individual hearts to entire communities.
A Short Prayer From Jeremiah 6:13
Lord, you see the hidden desires of every heart, from the youngest to the oldest and from the humblest to the most respected. I confess the ways my own heart reaches for more than it should and the moments I have bent the truth to protect myself. Search me and show me where greed or dishonesty has taken root in my life. Give me a love for honesty that holds steady when no one is watching, and help me speak truth in my own circles. Amen.
