Jeremiah 31:21 (DRB)

Passage

Set thee up a watchtower, make to thee bitterness: direct thy heart into the right way, wherein thou hast walked: return, O virgin of Israel, return to these thy cities.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 31:19 For after thou didst convert me, I did penance: and after thou didst shew unto me, I struck my thigh: I am confounded and ashamed, because I have borne the reproach of my youth.

Jeremiah 31:20 Surely Ephraim is an honourable son to me, surely he is a tender child: for since I spoke of him, I will still remember him. Therefore are my bowels troubled for him: pitying I will pity him, saith the Lord.

Jeremiah 31:21 Set thee up a watchtower, make to thee bitterness: direct thy heart into the right way, wherein thou hast walked: return, O virgin of Israel, return to these thy cities.

Jeremiah 31:22 How long wilt thou be dissolute in deliciousness, O wandering daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth: A WOMAN SHALL COMPASS A MAN.

Jeremiah 31:23 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: As yet shall they say this word in the land of Juda, and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring back their captivity: The Lord bless thee, the beauty of justice, the holy mountain.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thee", "watchtower", "make", "bitterness", "direct", "heart", and "right". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thee" and "watchtower", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "Surely Ephraim is an honourable son to..." into verse 22's "How long wilt thou be dissolute in...", so "thee" and "watchtower" 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 "thee" and "watchtower" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.