Yeremia 31:9

31:9 They will come back shedding tears of contrition.

I will bring them back praying prayers of repentance.¹

I will lead them besides streams of water,

along smooth paths where they will never stumble.²

I will do this because I am Israel’s father;

Ephraim³ is my firstborn son.’”

Yeremia 31:18-20

31:18 I have indeed⁴ heard the people of Israel⁵ say mournfully,

‘We were like a calf untrained to the yoke.⁶

You disciplined us and we learned from it.⁷

Let us come back to you and we will do so,⁸

for you are the Lord our God.

31:19 For after we turned away from you we repented.

After we came to our senses⁹ we beat our breasts in sorrow.¹⁰

We are ashamed and humiliated

because of the disgraceful things we did previously.’¹¹

31:20 Indeed, the people of Israel are my dear children.

They are the children I take delight in.¹²

For even though I must often rebuke them,

I still remember them with fondness.

So I am deeply moved with pity for them¹³

and will surely have compassion on them.

I, the Lord, affirm it!¹⁴