New Living Translation
Jeremiah 31:9
9Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care. They will walk beside quiet streams and on smooth paths where they will not stumble. For I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my oldest child.
Jeremiah 31:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
- New International Version (NIV)They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
- English Standard Version (ESV)With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
- New King James Version (NKJV)They shall come with weeping, And with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, In a straight way in which they shall not stumble; For I am a Father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.
Context of Jeremiah 31:9
7Now this is what the Lord says: “Sing with joy for Israel. Shout for the greatest of nations! Shout out with praise and joy: ‘Save your people, O Lord, the remnant of Israel!’ 8For I will bring them from the north and from the distant corners of the earth. I will not forget the blind and lame, the expectant mothers and women in labor. A great company will return! Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care. They will walk beside quiet streams and on smooth paths where they will not stumble. For I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my oldest child. 10“Listen to this message from the Lord, you nations of the world; proclaim it in distant coastlands: The Lord, who scattered his people, will gather them and watch over them as a shepherd does his flock. 11For the Lord has redeemed Israel from those too strong for them.
Read all of Jeremiah 31Jeremiah 31:9 word by word
בִּבְכִ֣י יָבֹ֗אוּ וּֽבְתַחֲנוּנִים֮ אֽוֹבִילֵם֒ אֽוֹלִיכֵם֙ אֶל־נַ֣חֲלֵי מַ֔יִם בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ יָשָׁ֔ר לֹ֥א יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ בָּ֑הּ כִּֽי־הָיִ֤יתִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְאָ֔ב וְאֶפְרַ֖יִם בְּכֹ֥רִי הֽוּא׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- They shall comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- with weepingבְּכִיbekîy · weepingH1065
- and with supplicationsתַּחֲנוּןtachănûn tachănûnâh · supplicationH8469
- will I leadיָבַלyâbal · to conductH2986
- them: I will cause them to walkיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- by the riversנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: riverH5158
- of watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- in a straightיָשָׁרyâshâr · uprightH3477
- wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
- wherein they shall not stumbleכָּשַׁלkâshal · to stumbleH3782
- for I am a fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- to Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- and Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
- my firstbornבְּכוֹרbekôr · firstbornH1060
Cross-references for Jeremiah 31:9
- Jeremiah 3:4Yet you say to me, ‘Father, you have been my guide since my youth.
- 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.
- Psalms 126:5Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
- Hosea 12:4Yes, he wrestled with the angel and won. He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him. There at Bethel he met God face to face, and God spoke to him—
- Zechariah 12:10“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.
- Daniel 9:17“O our God, hear your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary.
- Matthew 5:4God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
- Luke 6:21God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh.
- Romans 8:26And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
- 2 Corinthians 7:9Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.
- Hebrews 5:7While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God.
- Psalms 23:2He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
- Isaiah 35:6The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland.
- Isaiah 41:17“When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the Lord, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.
- Isaiah 43:16I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea.
- Isaiah 49:9I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’ They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures and on hills that were previously bare.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 31:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9They shall come with weeping - Duly penetrated with a sense of their sins, they shall deeply deplore them; and, while weeping for them, earnestly supplicate God to have mercy upon them. By the rivers of waters - I will so guide and provide for them in the arid deserts, that they shall find streams of water whenever necessary. Every one knows of how much consequence water is to travelers in the eastern deserts. Ephraim is my first-born - Ephraim, being the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Weeping - For joy, not for sorrow. Supplications - The conviction that God is guiding them, encourages them to pray. Ephraim is My firstborn - The house of Joseph is thus to be restored to its old preeminence.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Those returning to their homeland would cry with joy, knowing the Lord is their shepherd (Psalm 23:1–3) and feeling secure (see Isaiah 35:10) with God as their father.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. weeping--for their past sins which caused their exile (Psa 126:5, 6). Although they come with weeping, they shall return with joy (Jr 50:4, 5). supplications--(Compare Jr 31:18, 19; Jr 3:21-25; Zec 12:10). Margin translates "favors," as in Jos 11:20; Ezr 9:8; thus God's favors or compassions are put in opposition to the people's weeping; their tears shall be turned into joy. But English Version suits the parellelism best. I will cause ... to walk by…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 31:9
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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