Jeremiah 31:16
New International Version
This is what the LORD says: “Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,” declares the LORD. “They will return from the land of the enemy.

New Living Translation
But now this is what the LORD says: “Do not weep any longer, for I will reward you,” says the LORD. “Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy.

English Standard Version
Thus says the LORD: “Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the LORD, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

Berean Standard Bible
This is what the LORD says: “Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for the reward for your work will come, declares the LORD. Then your children will return from the land of the enemy.

King James Bible
Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

New King James Version
Thus says the LORD: “Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

New American Standard Bible
This is what the LORD says: “Restrain your voice from weeping And your eyes from tears; For your work will be rewarded,” declares the LORD, “And they will return from the land of the enemy.

NASB 1995
Thus says the LORD, “Restrain your voice from weeping And your eyes from tears; For your work will be rewarded,” declares the LORD, “And they will return from the land of the enemy.

NASB 1977
Thus says the LORD, “Restrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded,” declares the LORD, “And they shall return from the land of the enemy.

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus says Yahweh, “Restrain your voice from weeping And your eyes from tears, For your work will be rewarded,” declares Yahweh, “And they will return from the land of the enemy.

Amplified Bible
Thus says the LORD, “Restrain your voice from weeping And your eyes from tears, For your work will be rewarded,” says the LORD; “And your children will return from the enemy’s land.

Christian Standard Bible
This is what the LORD says: Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for the reward for your work will come — this is the LORD’s declaration — and your children will return from the enemy’s land.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
This is what the LORD says: Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for the reward for your work will come— this is the LORD’s declaration— and your children will return from the enemy’s land.

American Standard Version
Thus saith Jehovah: Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded, saith Jehovah; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

Contemporary English Version
But I, the LORD, say to dry your tears. Someday your children will come home from the enemy's land. Then all you have done for them will be greatly rewarded.

English Revised Version
Thus saith the LORD: Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
This is what the LORD says: Stop your crying, and wipe away your tears. You will be rewarded for your work, declares the LORD. You will return from the land of the enemy.

Good News Translation
Stop your crying and wipe away your tears. All that you have done for your children will not go unrewarded; they will return from the enemy's land.

International Standard Version
This is what the LORD says: "Restrain your voice from crying, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work," declares the LORD. "They'll return from the enemy's land.

Majority Standard Bible
This is what the LORD says: ?Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for the reward for your work will come, declares the LORD. Then your children will return from the land of the enemy.

NET Bible
The LORD says to her, "Stop crying! Do not shed any more tears! For your heartfelt repentance will be rewarded. Your children will return from the land of the enemy. I, the LORD, affirm it!

New Heart English Bible
Thus says the LORD: "Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded," says the LORD; "and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thy eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

World English Bible
Yahweh 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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Thus said YHWH: “Withhold your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, "" For there is a reward for your work,” "" A declaration of YHWH, "" “And they have turned back from the land of the enemy.

Young's Literal Translation
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.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thus said Jehovah, Restrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for there is a reward to thy work, says Jehovah; and they turned back from the land of the enemy.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thus saith the Lord: Let thy voice cease from weeping, and thy eyes from tears: for there is a reward for thy work, saith the Lord: and they shall return out of the land of the enemy.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Thus says the Lord: “Let your voice cease from crying and your eyes from tears. For there is a reward for your work, says the Lord. And they will return from the land of the enemy.

New American Bible
Thus says the LORD: Cease your cries of weeping, hold back your tears! There is compensation for your labor— oracle of the LORD— they shall return from the enemy’s land.

New Revised Standard Version
Thus says the LORD: Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for there is a reward for your work, says the LORD: they shall come back from the land of the enemy;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Thus says the LORD: Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for there is a reward for your tears, says the LORD; and the people shall return from the land of the enemy.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Thus says LORD JEHOVAH: “Restrain your voice from crying, and your eyes from tears, because there is a reward for your tears, says LORD JEHOVAH, and they shall return from the land of the enemy
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thus saith the LORD: Refrain thy voice from weeping, And thine eyes from tears; For thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thus saith the Lord; Let thy voice cease from weeping, and thine eyes from thy tears: for their is a reward for thy works; and they shall return from the land of thine enemies.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Mourning Turned to Joy
15This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” 16This is what the LORD says: “Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for the reward for your work will come, declares the LORD. Then your children will return from the land of the enemy. 17So there is hope for your future, declares the LORD, and your children will return to their own land.…

Cross References
Matthew 2:18
“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Isaiah 40:1-2
“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God. / “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her forced labor has been completed; her iniquity has been pardoned. For she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.”

Isaiah 49:14-15
But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me!” / “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!

Isaiah 51:11
So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.

Isaiah 60:20
Your sun will no longer set, and your moon will not wane; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your sorrow will cease.

Psalm 126:5-6
Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. / He who goes out weeping, bearing a trail of seed, will surely return with shouts of joy, carrying sheaves of grain.

Revelation 21:4
‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope. / For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

John 16:20-22
Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. / A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. / So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

Romans 8:18
I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, / who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Isaiah 35:10
So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.

Isaiah 61:3
to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Lamentations 3:31-33
For the Lord will not cast us off forever. / Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion. / For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.

Zechariah 8:19
“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: The fasts of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months will become times of joy and gladness, cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore you are to love both truth and peace.”


Treasury of Scripture

Thus said the LORD; Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears: for your work shall be rewarded, said the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

Refrain.

Genesis 43:31
And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

Genesis 45:1
Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.

Psalm 30:5
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

for.

Ruth 2:12
The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

2 Chronicles 15:7
Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.

Ecclesiastes 9:7
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

they.

Jeremiah 31:4,5
Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry…

Jeremiah 23:3
And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

Jeremiah 29:14
And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

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Affirmation Declares Enemy Eyes Hater Refrain Restrain Rewarded Sorrow Tears Voice Weeping Withhold Work
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Jeremiah 31
1. The restoration of Israel.
10. The publication thereof.
15. Rahel mourning is comforted.
18. Ephraim repenting is brought home again.
22. Christ is promised.
27. His care over the church.
31. His new covenant.
35. The stability,
38. and amplitude of the church.














Thus says the LORD
This phrase introduces a direct message from God, emphasizing the divine authority and authenticity of the words that follow. In Hebrew, "LORD" is "YHWH," the sacred and personal name of God, signifying His eternal presence and covenant faithfulness. This introduction assures the reader that the message is not merely human opinion but a divine decree, underscoring the importance and reliability of the prophecy.

Keep your voice from weeping
The Hebrew word for "weeping" is "bekhi," which conveys deep sorrow and lamentation. In the context of Jeremiah, this phrase is a compassionate command from God to cease mourning. Historically, this reflects the period of exile and suffering for Israel, where tears were abundant. God's instruction to stop weeping is not dismissive but rather a promise of forthcoming comfort and restoration.

and your eyes from tears
Tears are a physical manifestation of grief and distress. The repetition of the command to refrain from tears reinforces God's intention to bring hope and healing. In the ancient Near Eastern culture, tears were often associated with mourning rituals. Here, God is signaling a shift from mourning to anticipation of joy, indicating a change in circumstances that will render tears unnecessary.

for there is a reward for your work
The word "reward" in Hebrew is "sakar," which implies a recompense or wages. This suggests that the suffering and faithfulness of the people will not go unnoticed or unrewarded by God. In a broader biblical context, this reflects the principle of divine justice and the assurance that God honors perseverance and righteousness, even amidst trials.

declares the LORD
This phrase reaffirms the divine origin of the promise, emphasizing that it is God Himself who guarantees the reward. The repetition of "declares the LORD" throughout prophetic literature serves to remind the audience of the certainty and unchangeable nature of God's word. It is a call to trust in His promises, despite present circumstances.

and they will return from the land of the enemy
The phrase "land of the enemy" refers to the places of exile where the Israelites were taken captive. Historically, this would have been Babylon, a place of oppression and separation from their homeland. The promise of return is a powerful message of hope and restoration. It signifies not only a physical return to their land but also a spiritual renewal and the re-establishment of their covenant relationship with God. This return is a foretaste of the ultimate redemption and restoration that God promises to His people.

(16) Thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord.--Literally, there-shall be a reward for thy work. The words are a reproduction of the old prophecy of Azariah, the son of Oded (2Chronicles 15:7). Rachel, personifying the northern kingdom, perhaps even the collective unity of all Israel, is thought of as labouring in the work of repentance and reformation, as with a mother's care, and is comforted with the thought that her labour shall not be in vain. This seems a more satisfactory interpretation than that which refers the "work" of the weeping Rachel to the travail of child-birth.

Verse 16. - Rachel is admonished to cease from weeping, because her work has not really been in vain; her children shall be restored. Thy work shall be rewarded. Like the Servant of the Lord, Rachel had said (though with the voiceless language of tears), "I have laboured in vain; I have spent my strength for nought and in vain;" and like the ocean mother of Zidon, "I have not travailed, nor brought forth children, neither nourished up young men, nor brought up virgins" (Isaiah 23:4). Rachel's work had been that of rearing up the patriarchs, "in whose loins" the tribes themselves were, in a certain sense. From the land of the enemy; i.e. from the countries of Israel's dispersion. But in the spirit of St. Matthew, we may fill the passage with a higher meaning, of which the prophet (like Shakespeare sometimes) was unconscious, namely, "from death;" and the passage thus becomes an undesigned prophecy of the Resurrection.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
This is what
כֹּ֣ה ׀ (kōh)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

the LORD
יְהוָ֗ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

says:
אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Keep
מִנְעִ֤י (min·‘î)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 4513: To debar, from benefit, injury

your voice
קוֹלֵךְ֙ (qō·w·lêḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

from weeping
מִבֶּ֔כִי (mib·be·ḵî)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1065: A weeping, a dripping

and your eyes
וְעֵינַ֖יִךְ (wə·‘ê·na·yiḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - cdc | second person feminine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

from tears,
מִדִּמְעָ֑ה (mid·dim·‘āh)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1832: Tears (of one weeping)

for
כִּי֩ (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the reward
שָׂכָ֤ר (śā·ḵār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7939: Payment of contract, salary, fare, maintenance, compensation, benefit

for your work
לִפְעֻלָּתֵךְ֙ (lip̄·‘ul·lā·ṯêḵ)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 6468: A work, recompense

will come,
יֵ֨שׁ (yêš)
Adverb
Strong's 3426: Being, substance, existence, is

declares
נְאֻם־ (nə·’um-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle

the LORD.
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

Then [your children] will return
וְשָׁ֖בוּ (wə·šā·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

from the land
מֵאֶ֥רֶץ (mê·’e·reṣ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of the enemy.
אוֹיֵֽב׃ (’ō·w·yêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 31:16 Thus says Yahweh: Refrain your voice (Jer.)
Jeremiah 31:15
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