Rabbi Simon said: The Holy One blessed be He found three [precious] finds: Abraham, as it is written: “You found his heart faithful before You” (Nehemiah 9:8); David, as it is written: “I found David, My servant” (Psalms 89:21); Israel, as it is written: “Like grapes in the wilderness I found Israel” (Hosea 9:10).6In each case, God rejoiced, as when one finds a treasure. The students raised an objection to Rabbi Simon: But is it not written [also]: “But Noah found favor”?
He said to them: He [Noah] found [favor], the Holy One blessed be He did not find [him].7God did not rejoice over “finding” Noah as with the others. It is Noah who found something precious – favor before God. But is it not written: “[Israel] found favor in the wilderness”? (Jeremiah 31:2).8And here it cannot be said that God did not "find” Israel, as Israel is among the three “finds.” It is due to the merit of the generation of the Wilderness.9Do not render it as “in the wilderness,” but “in the merit of the [generation of the] wilderness.”
The people of Jeremiah’s time were not worthy, and were not considered “finds” by God; it is they who found favor before Him in the merit of their righteous ancestors. (“You found his heart faithful before You.”)10These words are not relevant here, and should be deleted (Yefe Toar).