"Damascushas becomehelpless;She has turnedaway to flee,And panichas grippedher; Distressand pangshave takenholdof her Like a woman in childbirth.
To the womanHe said,"I will greatlymultiplyYour painin childbirth,In painyou will bringforthchildren;Yet your desirewill be for your husband,And he will ruleover you."
They will be terrified,Painsand anguishwill takeholdof [them]; They will writhelike a woman in labor,They will lookat oneanotherin astonishment,Their facesaflame.
Asknow,and seeIfa malecan givebirth.Whydo I seeeveryman[With] his handson his loins,as a woman in childbirth?And [why] have allfacesturnedpale?
For I hearda cryas of a woman in labor,The anguishas of one givingbirthto her firstchild,The cryof the daughterof Ziongaspingfor breath,Stretchingout her hands,[saying], "Ah,woeis me, for I faintbefore murderers."
"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.
"They will takeaway their tentsand their flocks;They will carryofffor themselves Their tentcurtains,alltheir goodsand their camels,And they will callout to one another, 'Terroron everyside!'
So I will shatterElambeforetheir enemiesAnd beforethose who seektheir lives;And I will bringcalamityupon them, Even My fierceanger,'declaresthe LORD,And I will sendout the swordafterthem UntilI have consumedthem.
"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.
The painsof childbirthcomeupon him; He is not a wiseson,For it is not the timethat he should delayat the openingof the womb.
"But allthese thingsare [merely] the beginningof birth pangs.
"For nationwill riseup againstnation,and kingdomagainstkingdom;there will be earthquakesin variousplaces;there will [also] be famines.These thingsare [merely] the beginningof birth pangs.
