"Now,whydo you cryout loudly?Is therenokingamong you, Orhas your counselorperished,That agonyhas grippedyou like 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.
For thisreasonmy loinsare fullof anguish;Painshave seizedme like the painsof a woman in labor.I am sobewilderedI cannothear,soterrifiedI cannotsee.
As the pregnantwomanapproaches[the time] to givebirth,She writhes[and] criesout in her laborpains,Thuswere we beforeYou, O LORD.
"You who dwellin Lebanon,Nestedin the cedars,Howyou will groanwhen pangscomeupon you, Painlike a woman in childbirth!
Fearnot, O JacobMy servant,'declaresthe LORD,'And do not be dismayed,O Israel;For behold,I will saveyou from afarAnd your offspringfrom the landof their captivity.And Jacobwill returnand will be quietand at ease,And noonewill makehim afraid.
Howlongmust I seethe standardAnd hearthe soundof the trumpet?
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.
"The kingof Babylonhas heardthe reportabout them, And his handshanglimp;Distresshas grippedhim, Agonylike a woman in childbirth.
Behold,listen!The cryof the daughterof my peoplefrom a distantland:"Is the LORDnot in Zion?Is her Kingnot within her?" "Whyhave they provokedMe with their gravenimages,with foreignidols?"
The breathof our nostrils,the LORD'Sanointed,Was capturedin their pits,Of whomwe had said,"Under his shadowWe shall liveamong the nations."
Surelynowthey will say,"We havenoking,For we do not reverethe LORD.As for the king,whatcan he dofor us?"
The painsof childbirthcomeupon him; He is not a wiseson,For it is not the timethat he should delayat the openingof the womb.
For the sonsof Israelwill remainfor manydayswithoutkingor prince,withoutsacrificeor [sacred] pillarand withoutephodor householdidols.
ThereforeHe will givethem [up] untilthe timeWhen she who is in laborhas bornea child. Then the remainderof His brethrenWill returnto the sonsof Israel.
"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.
and she was with child;and she criedout, beingin laborand in painto give birth.
