New Living Translation
Jeremiah 31:18
18I have heard Israel saying, ‘You disciplined me severely, like a calf that needs training for the yoke. Turn me again to you and restore me, for you alone are the Lord my God.
Jeremiah 31:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God.
- New International Version (NIV)“I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return, because you are the Lord my God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)I have heard Ephraim grieving, 'You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the Lord my God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself: ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained bull; Restore me, and I will return, For You are the Lord my God.
Context of Jeremiah 31:18
16But now this is what the Lord says: “Do not weep any longer, for I will reward you,” says the Lord. “Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy. 17There is hope for your future,” says the Lord. “Your children will come again to their own land. I have heard Israel saying, ‘You disciplined me severely, like a calf that needs training for the yoke. Turn me again to you and restore me, for you alone are the Lord my God. 19I turned away from God, but then I was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity! I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.’ 20“Is not Israel still my son, my darling child?” says the Lord. “I often have to punish him, but I still love him. That’s why I long for him and surely will have mercy on him.
Read all of Jeremiah 31Jeremiah 31:18 word by word
שָׁמ֣וֹעַ שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ מִתְנוֹדֵ֔ד יִסַּרְתַּ֙נִי֙ וָֽאִוָּסֵ֔ר כְּעֵ֖גֶל לֹ֣א לֻמָּ֑ד הֲשִׁיבֵ֣נִי וְאָשׁ֔וּבָה כִּ֥י אַתָּ֖ה יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I have surelyשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
- bemoaningנוּדnûd · to wanderH5110
- Thou hast chastisedיָסַרyâsar · to disciplineH3256
- as a bullockעֵ֫גֶל‛êgel · calfH5695
- unaccustomedלָמַדlâmad · to learn: teachH3925
- unaccustomedלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- turnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- thou me, and I shall be turnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: rescueH7725
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- my Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
Cross-references for Jeremiah 31:18
- Job 33:27He will declare to his friends, ‘I sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it.
- Psalms 102:19Tell them the Lord looked down from his heavenly sanctuary. He looked down to earth from heaven
- Isaiah 57:15The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.
- Hosea 5:15Then I will return to my place until they admit their guilt and turn to me. For as soon as trouble comes, they will earnestly search for me.”
- Hosea 6:1“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds.
- Luke 15:20“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
- Jeremiah 31:6The day will come when watchmen will shout from the hill country of Ephraim, ‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord our God.’”
- Jeremiah 3:21Voices are heard high on the windswept mountains, the weeping and pleading of Israel’s people. For they have chosen crooked paths and have forgotten the Lord their God.
- Jeremiah 50:4“In those coming days,” says the Lord, “the people of Israel will return home together with the people of Judah. They will come weeping and seeking the Lord their God.
- Hosea 11:8“Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go? How can I destroy you like Admah or demolish you like Zeboiim? My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows.
- Hosea 14:4The Lord says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever.
- Jeremiah 2:30“I have punished your children, but they did not respond to my discipline. You yourselves have killed your prophets as a lion kills its prey.
- Jeremiah 5:3Lord, you are searching for honesty. You struck your people, but they paid no attention. You crushed them, but they refused to be corrected. They are determined, with faces set like stone; they have refused to repent.
- Job 5:17“But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin.
- Psalms 39:8Rescue me from my rebellion. Do not let fools mock me.
- Psalms 94:12Joyful are those you discipline, Lord, those you teach with your instructions.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 31:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself - The exiled Israelites are in a state of deep repentance. Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised - I was at first like an unbroken and untoward steer, the more I was chastised the more I rebelled; but now I have benefited by thy correction. Turn thou me - I am now willing to take thy yoke upon me, but I have no power. I can only will and pray. Take the matter into thy own hand, and fully convert my soul.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-22Verses 15-22 The religious character of the restoration of the ten tribes. Chastisement brought repentance, and with it forgiveness; therefore God decrees their restoration. Jeremiah 31:15 Ramah, mentioned because of its nearness to Jerusalem, from which it was distant about five miles. As the mother of three tribes, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, Rachel is regarded as the mother of the whole ten. This passage is quoted by Matthew (marginal reference)…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-20Verses 18-20 Ephraim (the ten tribes) is weeping for sin. He is angry at himself for his sin, and folly, and frowardness. He finds he cannot, by his own power, keep himself close with God, much less bring himself back when he is revolted. Therefore he prays, Turn thou me, and I shall be turned. His will was bowed to the will of God. When the teaching of God's Spirit went with the corrections of his providence, then the work was done. This is our comfort…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-19Israel was now sorry for its sins and humbly asked for restoration. The people realized they could not save themselves. They turned away from idols and affirmed that God alone is the Lord.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. Ephraim--representing the ten tribes. bemoaning himself--The spirit of penitent supplication shall at last be poured on Israel as the necessary forerunner of their restoration (Zec 12:10-14). Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised--In the first clause the chastisement itself is meant; in the second the beneficial effect of it in teaching the penitent true wisdom. bullock unaccustomed to ... yoke--A similar image occurs in De 32:15. Compare…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 31:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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