Jeremiah 31:9 (WEB)

Passage

They will come with weeping. I will lead them with petitions. I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they won’t stumble; for I am a father to Israel. Ephraim is my firstborn.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 31:7 For Yahweh says, “Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout for the chief of the nations. Publish, praise, and say, ‘Yahweh, save your people, the remnant of Israel!’

Jeremiah 31:8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, along with the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her who travails with child together. They will return as a great company.

Jeremiah 31:9 They will come with weeping. I will lead them with petitions. I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they won’t stumble; for I am a father to Israel. Ephraim is my firstborn.

Jeremiah 31:10 “Hear Yahweh’s word, you nations, and declare it in the distant islands. Say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock.’

Jeremiah 31:11 For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "come", "weeping", "lead", "petitions", "cause", "walk", "rivers", and "waters". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "come" and "weeping", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Behold I will bring them from the..." into verse 10's "Hear Yahweh s word you nations and...", so "come" and "weeping" 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 "come" and "weeping" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.