Judah’s behaviour is described using the Hebrew word qesher, which is translated here as conspiracy.
This word speaks of an organized plot of rebellion, but it is used metaphorically. Even though the people of Judah were simply following their evil hearts (Jeremiah 11:8), the nation’s behaviour had all the signs of an organized rebellion against the Lord and the terms of his covenant. The end result was a denial of the Lord’s rule over them.1
9 Again the LORD said to me, “A conspiracy exists among the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.