For thisreasonmy loinsare fullof anguish;Painshave seizedme like the painsof a woman in labor.I am sobewilderedI cannothear,soterrifiedI cannotsee.
Panicseizedthem there,Anguish,as of a woman in childbirth.
They will be terrified,Painsand anguishwill takeholdof [them]; They will writhelike a woman in labor,They will lookat oneanotherin astonishment,Their facesaflame.
My heartcriesout for Moab;His fugitivesare as faras Zoar[and] Eglath-shelishiyah,For they goup the ascentof Luhithweeping;Surelyon the roadto Horonaimthey raisea cryof distressover [their] ruin.
Thereforemy heartintoneslike a harpfor MoabAnd my inwardfeelingsfor Kir-hareseth.
ThereforeI will weepbitterlyfor Jazer,for the vineof Sibmah;I will drenchyou with my tears,O Heshbonand Elealeh;For the shoutingoveryour summerfruitsand your harvesthas fallenaway.
As the pregnantwomanapproaches[the time] to givebirth,She writhes[and] criesout in her laborpains,Thuswere we beforeYou, O LORD.
My soul,my soul!I am in anguish!Oh,my heart!My heartis poundingin me; I cannotbe silent,Becauseyou have heard,O my soul,The soundof the trumpet,The alarmof war.
"Keriothhas been capturedAnd the strongholdshave been seized,So the heartsof the mightymenof Moabin that dayWill be like the heartof a womanin labor.
Behold,He will mountup and swooplike an eagleand spreadout His wingsagainstBozrah;and the heartsof the mightymenof Edomin that daywill be like the heartof a womanin labor.
"The kingof Babylonhas heardthe reportabout them, And his handshanglimp;Distresshas grippedhim, Agonylike a woman in childbirth.
We have heardthe reportof it; Our handsare limp.Anguishhas seizedus, Painas of a woman in childbirth.
I heardand my inwardpartstrembled,At the soundmy lipsquivered.Decayentersmy bones,And in my placeI tremble.BecauseI must waitquietlyfor the dayof distress,For the peopleto arise[who] will invadeus.
"Whenevera womanis in laborshe haspain,becauseher hourhas come;but whenshe givesbirthto the child,she no longerremembersthe anguishbecauseof the joythat a childhas been borninto the world.
"In the morningyou shall say,'Wouldthat it were evening!'And at eveningyou shall say,'Wouldthat it were morning!'becauseof the dreadof your heartwhichyou dread,and for the sightof your eyeswhichyou will see.
Whilethey are saying,"Peaceand safety!"thendestructionwill comeupon them suddenlylikelabor painsupon a woman with child,and they will not escape.
