KJV King James Version
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.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Jeremiah 31:18
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.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God.
WEB World English Bible
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, You have chastised me, and I was chastised, as an untrained calf: turn me, and I shall be turned; for you are Yahweh my God.
ASV American Standard Version
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a calf unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art Jehovah my God.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, ‘Thou hast chastised me, And I am chastised, as a heifer not taught, Turn me back, and I turn back, For thou art Jehovah my God.
Surrounding context — Jeremiah 31
15 Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, [and] bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they [were] not.
16 Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.
17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.
18 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.
19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon [my] thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.
20 [Is] Ephraim my dear son? [is he] a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.
21 Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, [even] the way [which] thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
שָׁמ֣וֹעַH8085 · sha.mato hear: hearשָׁמַ֗עְתִּיH8085 · sha.mato hear: hearאֶפְרַ֙יִם֙H669 · eph.ra.yimEphraimמִתְנוֹדֵ֔דH5110 · nudto wanderיִסַּרְתַּ֙נִי֙H3256 · ya.sarto disciplineוָֽאִוָּסֵ֔רH3256 · ya.sarto disciplineכְּעֵ֖גֶלH5695 · e.gelcalfלֹ֣אH3808 · lonotלֻמָּ֑דH3925 · la.madto learn: teachהֲשִׁיבֵ֣נִיH7725 · shuvto return: returnוְאָשׁ֔וּבָהH7725 · shuvto return: returnכִּ֥יH3588 · kiforאַתָּ֖הH859 · at.tahyou(m.s.)יְהוָ֥הH3068 · ye.ho.vahLORDאֱלֹהָֽי׃H430 · e.lo.himGod
Cross-references
Jeremiah 31:9They 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.Psalm 80:3Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.Jeremiah 3:21-22A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping [and] supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, [and] they have forgotten the LORD their God.Job 5:17Behold, happy [is] the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:Isaiah 9:13For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.Lamentations 3:27-30[It is] good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.Luke 15:20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.Lamentations 5:21Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.Revelation 3:19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.Hosea 5:15I will go [and] return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.Jeremiah 17:14Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou [art] my praise.Acts 3:26Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.Jeremiah 50:4-5In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God.Job 33:27-28He looketh upon men, and [if any] say, I have sinned, and perverted [that which was] right, and it profited me not;Psalm 80:19Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.Psalm 80:7Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.Psalm 32:9Be ye not as the horse, [or] as the mule, [which] have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.Isaiah 57:15-18For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name [is] Holy; I dwell in the high and holy [place], with him also [that is] of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
CLASSIC COMMENTARY & PREACHING
Spurgeon on Jeremiah 31:18
Read Charles H. Spurgeon material whose primary Scripture is this verse or passage.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on Jeremiah 31:18
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →