27 For it is written:

(A)“Rejoice, O barren,
You who do not bear!
Break forth and shout,
You who are not in labor!
For the desolate has many more children
Than she who has a husband.”

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27 For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
    you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband.”[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:27 Isaiah 54:1

A Perpetual Covenant of Peace

54 “Sing, O (A)barren,
You who have not borne!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,
You who have not labored with child!
For more are the children of the desolate
Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.
“Enlarge(B) the place of your tent,
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;
Do not spare;
Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes.
For you shall expand to the right and to the left,
And your descendants will (C)inherit the nations,
And make the desolate cities inhabited.

“Do(D) not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
(E)For your Maker is your husband,
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
He is called (F)the God of the whole earth.

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The Future Glory of Zion

54 “Sing, barren woman,(A)
    you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,(B)
    you who were never in labor;(C)
because more are the children(D) of the desolate(E) woman
    than of her who has a husband,(F)
says the Lord.
“Enlarge the place of your tent,(G)
    stretch your tent curtains wide,
    do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
    strengthen your stakes.(H)
For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
    your descendants(I) will dispossess nations(J)
    and settle in their desolate(K) cities.

“Do not be afraid;(L) you will not be put to shame.(M)
    Do not fear disgrace;(N) you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth(O)
    and remember no more the reproach(P) of your widowhood.(Q)
For your Maker(R) is your husband(S)
    the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One(T) of Israel is your Redeemer;(U)
    he is called the God of all the earth.(V)

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(A)He grants the [a]barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.

Praise the Lord!

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 113:9 childless

He settles the childless(A) woman in her home
    as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord.

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Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even (A)the barren has borne seven,
And (B)she who has many children has become feeble.

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Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
    but those who were hungry(A) are hungry no more.
She who was barren(B) has borne seven children,
    but she who has had many sons pines away.

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14 Then (A)the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a [a]close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! 15 And may he be to you a restorer of life and a [b]nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is (B)better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him.

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Footnotes

  1. Ruth 4:14 redeemer, Heb. goel
  2. Ruth 4:15 sustainer

14 The women(A) said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord,(B) who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer.(C) May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law,(D) who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons,(E) has given him birth.”

16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him.

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Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers (A)night and day.

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The widow who is really in need(A) and left all alone puts her hope in God(B) and continues night and day to pray(C) and to ask God for help.

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21 Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who has begotten these for me,
Since I have lost my children and am desolate,
A captive, and wandering to and fro?
And who has brought these up?
There I was, left alone;
But these, where were they?’ ”

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21 Then you will say in your heart,
    ‘Who bore me these?(A)
I was bereaved(B) and barren;
    I was exiled and rejected.(C)
    Who brought these(D) up?
I was left(E) all alone,(F)
    but these—where have they come from?’”

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20 And Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

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20 Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.

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11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, (A)that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, 13 would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that (B)the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!”

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11 But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands?(A) 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up?(B) Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter(C) for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!(D)

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