Jeremiah 31:15-26

New American Standard Bible

¹⁵This is what the Lord says:
“^(A)A voice is heard in ^(B)Ramah,
Lamenting and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
She ^(C)refuses to be comforted for her children,
Because ^(D)they are no more.”

¹⁶This is what the Lord says:

“^(E)Restrain your voice from weeping
And your eyes from tears;
For your ^(F)work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord,
“And they will ^(G)return from the land of the enemy.
¹⁷There is ^(H)hope for your future,” declares the Lord,
“And your children will return to their own territory.
¹⁸I have certainly heard Ephraim ^(I)grieving,
‘You have ^(J)disciplined me, and I was corrected,
Like an untrained ^(K)calf;
^(L)Bring me back that I may be restored,
For You are the Lord my God.
¹⁹For after I turned back, I ^(M)repented;
And after I was instructed, I ^[a]^(N)slapped my thigh;
I was ^(O)ashamed and also humiliated
Because I bore the shame of my youth.’
²⁰Is ^(P)Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a delightful child?
Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him,
I certainly still remember him;
Therefore My ^[b]^(Q)heart yearns for him;
I will certainly ^(R)have mercy on him,” declares the Lord.

²¹“Set up roadmarks for yourself,
Place guideposts for yourself;
^(S)Direct your ^[c]mind to the highway,
The way by which you went.
^(T)Return, O virgin of Israel,
Return to these your cities.
²²How long will you waver,
You ^(U)rebellious daughter?
For the Lord has created a new thing on the earth:
A woman will shelter a man.”

²³This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Once again they will speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities when I ^(V)restore their fortunes,

‘The Lord bless you, O ^(W)place of righteousness,
O ^(X)holy hill!’

²⁴Judah and all its cities will ^(Y)live together in it, the farmers and those who travel with flocks. ²⁵^(Z)For I give plenty of water to the weary ones, and ^[d]refresh everyone who languishes.” ²⁶At this I ^(AA)awoke and looked, and my ^(AB)sleep had been pleasant to me.