"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.
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."
"For you would forget[your] trouble,As watersthat have passedby, you would remember[it].
He makes the barrenwomanabidein the house[As] a joyfulmotherof children.Praisethe LORD!
They will be terrified,Painsand anguishwill takeholdof [them]; They will writhelike a woman in labor,They will lookat oneanotherin astonishment,Their facesaflame.
For thisreasonmy loinsare fullof anguish;Painshave seizedme like the painsof a woman in labor.I am sobewilderedI cannothear,soterrifiedI cannotsee.
"Beforeshe travailed,she broughtforth;Beforeher paincame,she gavebirthto a boy.
"Writheand laborto givebirth,Daughterof Zion,Like a woman in childbirth;For nowyou will goout of the city,Dwellin the field,And goto Babylon.Thereyou will be rescued;Therethe LORDwill redeemyou From the handof your enemies.
"Now,whydo you cryout loudly?Is therenokingamong you, Orhas your counselorperished,That agonyhas grippedyou like a woman in childbirth?
For it is written,"REJOICE,BARREN WOMANWHO DOES NOT BEAR;BREAK FORTHAND SHOUT,YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR;FOR MORE NUMEROUSARE THE CHILDRENOF THE DESOLATETHANOF THE ONE WHO HASA HUSBAND."
Whilethey are saying,"Peaceand safety!"thendestructionwill comeupon them suddenlylikelabor painsupon a woman with child,and they will not escape.
