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 Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
7 Before she was in labor
she gave birth;
before her pain came upon her
she delivered a son.(A)
8 Who has heard of such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
Shall a nation be delivered in one moment?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor
she delivered her children.(B)
9 Shall I open the womb and not deliver?
says the Lord;
shall I, the one who delivers, shut the womb?
says your God.
10 Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
all you who mourn over her—(C)
11 that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her consoling breast,
that you may drink deeply with delight
from her glorious bosom.(D)
12 For thus says the Lord:
I will extend prosperity to her like a river
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream,
and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm
and bounced on her knees.(E)
13 As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.(F)
The Reign and Indignation of God
14 You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
your bodies[a] shall flourish like the grass,
and it shall be known that the power of the Lord is with his servants,
and his indignation is against his enemies.(G)
Footnotes
- 66.14 Heb bones
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