Jeremiah 31:18 (DBY)

Passage

I have indeed heard Ephraim bemoaning himself [thus]: Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised as a bullock not trained: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art Jehovah my God.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 31:16 Thus saith Jehovah: Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for there is a reward for thy work, saith Jehovah; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

Jeremiah 31:17 And there is hope for thy latter end, saith Jehovah, and thy children shall come again to their own border.

Jeremiah 31:18 I have indeed heard Ephraim bemoaning himself [thus]: Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised as a bullock not trained: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art Jehovah my God.

Jeremiah 31:19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after I knew myself, I smote upon [my] thigh. I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, for I bear the reproach of my youth.

Jeremiah 31:20 Is Ephraim a dear son unto me? is he a child of delights? For whilst I have been speaking against him, I do constantly remember him still. Therefore my bowels are troubled for him: I will certainly have mercy upon him, saith Jehovah.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "indeed", "heard", "ephraim", "bemoaning", "himself", "thus", "thou", and "hast". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "indeed" and "heard", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "And there is hope for thy latter..." into verse 19's "Surely after that I was turned I...", so "indeed" and "heard" belong inside that flow. In Jeremiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "indeed" and "heard" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.