Read & explore together
Mourning Turned to Joy
Jeremiah 31:1–25 is prophecy and teaching about Yahweh’s promise to restore his people. The passage moves from belonging and favour, to gathering and comfort, through grief and repentance, and then to renewed hope in the land.
Understanding the passage
The setting of this message
In these verses, Yahweh speaks about all the families of Israel, Ephraim, and also Judah and its cities. He describes favour in the wilderness, rebuilding, return from far away, comfort after mourning, Ephraim’s repentance, mercy, and a future in which weary and sorrowful souls are refreshed.
Jeremiah 31:1–25Main takeaway
Jeremiah 31:1–25 teaches that Yahweh promises to gather, restore, comfort and mercifully receive his people.
Explore the message
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Belonging, favour and rebuildingYahweh begins by saying he will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be his people.
Explanation
Yahweh begins by saying he will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be his people. He also speaks of people who survived the sword finding favour in the wilderness, when he went to cause Israel to rest. His everlasting love and loving kindness lead into promises of rebuilding, joy and planting again.
02Gathered home and led with careThe passage continues with a call to go up to Zion to Yahweh. People are told to sing and pray for the remnant of Israel.
Explanation
The passage continues with a call to go up to Zion to Yahweh. People are told to sing and pray for the remnant of Israel. Yahweh says he will gather them from far away, including the blind, the lame, and women with child. He will lead them by waters in a straight way, and keep them like a shepherd.
03Redeemed people rejoiceYahweh says he has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from one stronger than he. The result is singing in Zion and flowing to Yahweh’s goodness, with grain, wine, oil, and flocks.
Explanation
Yahweh says he has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from one stronger than he. The result is singing in Zion and flowing to Yahweh’s goodness, with grain, wine, oil, and flocks. The images are full of life and provision. Mourning is turned to joy, sorrow is comforted, and Yahweh’s people are satisfied with his goodness.
04Weeping, hope and mercy for EphraimA bitter cry is heard in Ramah as Rachel weeps for her children. Yet Yahweh tells her to refrain from weeping because the children will come again.
Explanation
A bitter cry is heard in Ramah as Rachel weeps for her children. Yet Yahweh tells her to refrain from weeping because the children will come again. Then Ephraim is heard grieving, asking to be turned back, admitting shame after instruction. Yahweh answers with tender mercy, calling Ephraim a dear son whom he still remembers.
05Turn again and live in restored citiesIsrael is told to set up road signs and guideposts and turn again to its cities. Yahweh asks how long the backsliding daughter will wander, then announces a new thing on the earth and gives the phrase, “a woman will encompass a man”.
Explanation
Israel is told to set up road signs and guideposts and turn again to its cities. Yahweh asks how long the backsliding daughter will wander, then announces a new thing on the earth and gives the phrase, “a woman will encompass a man”. The text does not explain that phrase further here. After this, Judah’s land is pictured as blessed, inhabited and refreshing to weary, sorrowful souls.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01How do the opening verses connect Yahweh’s love with Israel’s future rebuilding?
Notice that favour, rest, everlasting love and loving kindness come before the promises of being built again and planting again.
02What details show that Yahweh’s return of his people includes care for weak and sorrowing people?
Look at who is included in the great company and how Yahweh leads them on the way.
03What happens between Ephraim’s confession and Yahweh’s reply?
Compare Ephraim’s words about being turned, instructed and ashamed with Yahweh’s words about remembering and showing mercy.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Jeremiah 31:1–25
1“At that time,” says Yahweh, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
2Yahweh says, “The people who survive the sword found favor in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.”
3Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness.
4I will build you again, and you will be built, O virgin of Israel. You will again be adorned with your tambourines, and will go out in the dances of those who make merry.
5Again you will plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria. The planters will plant, and will enjoy its fruit.
6For there will be a day that the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim cry, ‘Arise! Let’s go up to Zion to Yahweh our God.’ ”
7For 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!’
8Behold, 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.
9They 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.
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.’
11For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.
12They will come and sing in the height of Zion, and will flow to the goodness of Yahweh, to the grain, to the new wine, to the oil, and to the young of the flock and of the herd. Their soul will be as a watered garden. They will not sorrow any more at all.
13Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
14I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people will be satisfied with my goodness,” says Yahweh.
15Yahweh says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”
16Yahweh says: “Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,” says Yahweh. “They will come again from the land of the enemy.
17There is hope for your latter end,” says Yahweh. “Your children will come again to their own territory.
18“I have surely heard Ephraim grieving thus, ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, as an untrained calf. Turn me, and I will be turned, for you are Yahweh my God.
19Surely after that I was turned. I repented. After that I was instructed. I struck my thigh. I was ashamed, yes, even confounded, because I bore the reproach of my youth.’
20Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I still earnestly remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him. I will surely have mercy on him,” says Yahweh.
21“Set up road signs. Make guideposts. Set your heart toward the highway, even the way by which you went. Turn again, virgin of Israel. Turn again to these your cities.
22How long will you go here and there, you backsliding daughter? For Yahweh has created a new thing on the earth: a woman will encompass a man.”
23Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Yet again they will use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I reverse their captivity: ‘Yahweh bless you, habitation of righteousness, mountain of holiness.’
24Judah and all its cities will dwell therein together, the farmers, and those who go about with flocks.
25For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”