Isaiah 66:7-14
New English Translation
7 Before she goes into labor, she gives birth!
Before her contractions begin, she delivers a boy!
8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?
Who has ever seen this?
Can a country[a] be brought forth in one day?
Can a nation be born in a single moment?
Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!
9 Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?”
asks the Lord.
“Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?”
asks your God.[b]
10 “Be happy for Jerusalem
and rejoice with her, all you who love her!
Share in her great joy,
all you who have mourned over her!
11 For[c] you will nurse from her satisfying breasts and be nourished;[d]
you will feed with joy from her milk-filled breasts.[e]
12 For this is what the Lord says:
“Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,
the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks.[f]
You will nurse from her breast[g] and be carried at her side;
you will play on her knees.
13 As a mother consoles a child,[h]
so I will console you,
and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”
14 When you see this, you will be happy,[i]
and you will be revived.[j]
The Lord will reveal his power to his servants
and his anger to his enemies.[k]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 66:8 tn Heb “land,” but here אֶרֶץ (ʾerets) stands metonymically for an organized nation (see the following line).
- Isaiah 66:9 sn The rhetorical questions expect the answer, “Of course not!”
- Isaiah 66:11 tn Or “in order that”; ASV, NRSV “that.”
- Isaiah 66:11 tn Heb “you will suck and be satisfied from her comforting breast.”
- Isaiah 66:11 tn Heb “you will slurp and refresh yourselves from her heavy breast.”sn Zion’s residents will benefit from and enjoy her great material prosperity. See v. 12.
- Isaiah 66:12 tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity [or “peace”], and like an overflowing stream, the riches of nations.”
- Isaiah 66:12 tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).
- Isaiah 66:13 tn Heb “like a man whose mother comforts him.”
- Isaiah 66:14 tn “and you will see and your heart will be happy.”
- Isaiah 66:14 tn Heb “and your bones like grass will sprout.”
- Isaiah 66:14 tn Heb “and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, and anger to his enemies.”
Isaiah 66:7-14
New International Version
7 “Before she goes into labor,(A)
she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
she delivers a son.(B)
8 Who has ever heard of such things?
Who has ever seen(C) things like this?
Can a country be born in a day(D)
or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
than she gives birth to her children.(E)
9 Do I bring to the moment of birth(F)
and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Do I close up the womb
when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
10 “Rejoice(G) with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
all you who love(H) her;
rejoice greatly with her,
all you who mourn(I) over her.
11 For you will nurse(J) and be satisfied
at her comforting breasts;(K)
you will drink deeply
and delight in her overflowing abundance.”(L)
12 For this is what the Lord says:
Isaiah 66:7-14
King James Version
7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.
8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.
10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:
11 That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.
12 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.
13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
14 And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.
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