Before Zion was in labor, she gave birth;
before she was in pain, she delivered a boy.
Who has heard of such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Can a land be born in one day
or a nation be delivered in an instant?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor,
she gave birth to her sons.
“Will I bring a baby to the point of birth
and not deliver it?”
says the Lord;
“or will I who deliver, close the womb?”
says your God.
10 Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her,
all who love her.(A)
Rejoice greatly with her,
all who mourn over her—
11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her comforting breast
and drink deeply and delight yourselves
from her glorious breasts.

12 For this is what the Lord says:

I will make peace flow to her like a river,(B)
and the wealth[a] of nations like a flood;(C)
you will nurse and be carried on her hip(D)
and bounced on her lap.
13 As a mother comforts her son,
so I will comfort you,(E)
and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.
14 You will see, you will rejoice,
and you[b] will flourish like grass;(F)
then the Lord’s power will be revealed to his servants,
but he will show his wrath against his enemies.

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Footnotes

  1. 66:12 Or glory
  2. 66:14 Lit your bones

Rejoice with Jerusalem

(A)“Before she was in labor
    she gave birth;
before her pain came upon her
    she delivered a son.
Who has heard such a thing?
    Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
    Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment?
For (B)as soon as Zion was in labor
    she brought forth her children.
Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?”
    says the Lord;
“shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?”
    says your God.

10 (C)“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
    all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
    all you who mourn over her;
11 that you may nurse and be satisfied
    from her consoling breast;
that you may drink deeply with delight
    from her glorious abundance.”[a]

12 For thus says the Lord:
(D)“Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
    and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and (E)you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip,
    and bounced upon her knees.
13 As one whom his mother comforts,
    so (F)I will comfort you;
    you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
14 You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
    (G)your bones shall flourish like the grass;
and (H)the hand of the Lord shall be known to his servants,
    and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 66:11 Or breast