John 16:21 - An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

²¹ A woman has pain when giving birth because her time has come. But when the child is born, she does not remember the intense suffering because she is so happy over the child being born into the world.

More versions

King James Version (Oxford) 1769

²¹ A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

Amplified Bible - Classic Edition

²¹ A woman, when she gives birth to a child, has grief (anguish, agony) because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she no longer remembers her pain (trouble, anguish) because she is so glad that a man (a child, a human being) has been born into the world.

American Standard Version (1901)

²¹ A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world.

Common English Bible

²¹ When a woman gives birth, she has pain because her time has come. But when the child is born, she no longer remembers her distress because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.

Catholic Public Domain Version

²¹ A woman, when she is giving birth, has sorrow, because her hour has arrived. But when she has given birth to the child, then she no longer remembers the difficulties, because of the joy: for a man has been born into the world.

Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version

²¹ A woman, when she is in labour, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

John 16:21 Cross References

Galatians 4:27

For it is written [Isa. 40:1], “[Woman] you should be happy that you have not had children. Cry over your inability to experience the pain of childbirth. For the deserted woman has had more children than the one with a husband.”

1 Thessalonians 5:3

[For] when people are saying, “Peace,” and “Safety,” then [is when] destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not be able to escape it.