⁷ Before Zion was in labor, she gave birth;
before she was in pain, she delivered a boy.
⁸ 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.
⁹ “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.

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.