Jeremiah 31:18 (YLT)

Passage

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 <FI>art<Fi> Jehovah my God.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 31:16 Thus said Jehovah: Withhold thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears, For there is a reward for thy work, An affirmation of Jehovah, And they have turned back from the land of the enemy.

Jeremiah 31:17 And there is hope for thy latter end, An affirmation of Jehovah, And the sons have turned back <FI>to<Fi> their border.

Jeremiah 31:18 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 <FI>art<Fi> Jehovah my God.

Jeremiah 31:19 For after my turning back I repented, And after my being instructed I struck on the thigh, I have been ashamed, I have also blushed, For I have borne the reproach of my youth.

Jeremiah 31:20 A precious son is Ephraim to Me? A child of delights? For since My speaking against him, I do thoroughly remember him still, Therefore have My bowels been moved for him, I do greatly love him, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "surely", "heard", "ephraim", "bemoaning", "himself", "thou", "hast", and "chastised". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "surely" 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 "For after my turning back I repented...", so "surely" 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 "surely" and "heard" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.