en_tn_lite_do_not_use/jer/08/05.md

# Why has this people, Jerusalem, turned away in permanent apostasy?

Yahweh is saying that the way the people of Judah are acting does not make sense. This question can be translated as a statement. Alternate translation: "It does not make sense that this people, Jerusalem, has turned away in permanent apostasy." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])

# Jerusalem

The word "Jerusalem" here is a synecdoche for all the people of Judah. Alternate translation: "Judah" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche]])

# hold on to deceit

What the people of Judah were doing is spoken of as if they were clinging to deceit and would not let it go. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])

# They hold on to deceit

The abstract noun "deceit" is spoken of as if it were a physical object that a person could hold on to. It can be translated using the verb "deceive." Holding on to something is a metaphor for loving. Alternate translation: "They refuse to turn away from what deceives them" or "They love the people who deceive them" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-abstractnouns]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])