For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.
Jeremiah was a prophet in ancient Israel — a man called by God to deliver deeply unpopular messages to his own people during one of the most turbulent periods in their history, just before Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon. This verse records God speaking directly to Jeremiah with a painful warning: even your own family, the people from your hometown of Anathoth, have turned against you. They've made public accusations while speaking kindly to your face. Don't trust them, God says — not even when they seem supportive. It is one of the loneliest things God says to anyone in the entire Bible.
Lord, you know what it feels like when the people closest to us turn away. Walk with me in those moments of betrayal and loneliness. Help me to be clear-eyed without becoming bitter, and to find in you the security I keep looking for in people. Amen.
There's a special kind of wound that only family can inflict. Not the sharp pain of a stranger's cruelty, but the slow, quiet devastation of betrayal from people who were supposed to be safe. Jeremiah knew this. God had called him to speak hard truth, and the first people to turn on him weren't strangers — they were his relatives. What strikes me about this verse is that God doesn't promise it won't happen. He doesn't say 'don't worry, they'll come around.' He says: this is real, be clear-eyed about it, and don't let kind words lull you into false security. That's not cynicism — it's wisdom. Doing what you're called to do will sometimes cost you the approval of the people you love most. You don't have to be bitter about it. But you do have to stop being surprised by it.
Why do you think God warns Jeremiah directly about his family's betrayal rather than letting him discover it on his own — what does that say about how God relates to us in painful situations?
Have you ever experienced opposition or painful distance from people close to you because of your faith or convictions? What did that feel like, and how did you process it?
Is it possible to be clear-eyed about someone's untrustworthiness and still genuinely love them? How do you hold both of those things at once without collapsing into either naivety or bitterness?
How does betrayal by family or close community tend to affect the way you relate to others over time — do you become more guarded, or does it drive you toward deeper dependence on God?
Is there a relationship in your life where you might need more honesty about what you can and can't trust? What's one wise, measured step you could take toward that clarity?
And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Matthew 10:36
But Jesus said unto them , A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
Mark 6:4
And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Matthew 10:21
For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
Micah 7:6
Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.
Micah 7:5
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
Genesis 37:11
For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Psalms 22:16
When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.
Proverbs 26:25
"For even your [tribal] brothers and the household of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously (unfaithfully) with you; Indeed they are [like a pack of hounds] howling after you. Do not believe them, although they may say kind words and promise you good things."
AMP
For even your brothers and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; they are in full cry after you; do not believe them, though they speak friendly words to you.”
ESV
'For even your brothers and the household of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you, Even they have cried aloud after you. Do not believe them, although they may say nice things to you.'
NASB
Your brothers, your own family— even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.
NIV
For even your brothers, the house of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you; Yes, they have called a multitude after you. Do not believe them, Even though they speak smooth words to you.
NKJV
Even your brothers, members of your own family, have turned against you. They plot and raise complaints against you. Do not trust them, no matter how pleasantly they speak.
NLT
Those closest to you, your own brothers and cousins, are working against you. They're out to get you. They'll stop at nothing. Don't trust them, especially when they're smiling.
MSG