Jeremiah 31:18-20

Easy-to-Read Version

¹⁸ I have heard Ephraim crying:
    ‘Lord, you punished me, and I learned my lesson.
    I was like a calf that was never trained.
Please stop punishing me,
    and I will come back to you.
    You really are the Lord my God.
¹⁹ I wandered away from you.
    But I finally realized how wrong I was.
    So I changed my heart and life.
I am ashamed and embarrassed
    about the foolish things I did when I was young.’”
²⁰ The Lord says,
“You know that Ephraim is my dear son.
    I love that child.
Yes, I often criticized Ephraim,
    but I still think about him.
I love him very much,
    and I really do want to comfort him.