Jeremiah 6:13 describes how corruption had spread through every level of Judah’s society, from ordinary people up to the religious leaders who were supposed to guide them. The verse is God’s indictment, spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, that the people were driven by greed and that both common folk and the prophets and priests were practicing deception. Jeremiah is recording the Lord’s own words here, and they are addressed to the nation of Judah in the years before Jerusalem fell to Babylon.
“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 phrase “from their least even to their greatest” is a deliberate sweep across the whole social ladder. The Hebrew idiom covers the smallest and the most important people alike, so no one is exempt. The word translated “covetousness” points to an intense, grasping desire for gain, the kind that treats other people’s property or well-being as something to take. When the verse says “everyone is given to covetousness,” it means this was not an occasional lapse but a settled pattern of life.
The second half widens the accusation to the people who should have been the nation’s moral and spiritual anchors. “From the prophet even to the priest” names the two groups responsible for speaking God’s word and leading worship. Saying “everyone deals falsely” means they were not just mistaken but actively dishonest, using their roles to mislead rather than to tell the truth. The verse does not promise anything about how God will respond in every case; it is a diagnosis, and the surrounding passage shows the judgment that follows.
The Context of Jeremiah 6:13
The book of Jeremiah is traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, who ministered in Jerusalem roughly from the late seventh century to the early sixth century BC. His message was addressed to the kingdom of Judah during a time of political pressure from Assyria’s decline and the rising power of Babylon. Chapter 6 is a warning delivered as the nation drifted further from the covenant with the Lord.
Just before verse 13, the Lord says his word has become a reproach to the people and that they have no delight in it (verse 10). Verse 13 explains why: the same people who refused to listen were shaped by greed and deceit at every level. Just after, in verse 14, the leaders offer shallow reassurance, crying “Peace, peace!” when there is no peace. Read in that setting, verse 13 is the root cause that makes the false comfort in verse 14 possible, which is why it carries such weight.
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 shows that God detests dishonest scales and delights in honest weights, which fits the charge in Jeremiah 6:13 that everyone deals falsely. It helps you see that deception in commerce was a concern throughout Israel’s history.
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
(WEB)
Micah describes what the Lord actually requires: justice, mercy, and humble walking with God. Read beside Jeremiah 6:13, it shows the positive picture that stands opposite the covetousness and deceit the earlier prophet condemned.
A Short Prayer From Jeremiah 6:13
Lord, you see the desires that rise in my heart, including the ones I would rather hide from others. Search me where greed has taken root, and give me a longing for what is right instead. Keep my words honest, especially when the truth costs me something, and guard me from using any role of trust to mislead those who rely on me. Make my life a witness to your faithfulness. Amen.
