16 Lord, they came to you in their distress;

when you disciplined them,

they could barely whisper a prayer.

17 As a pregnant woman about to give birth

writhes and cries out in her pain,

so were we in your presence, Lord.

18 We were with child, we writhed in labor,

but we gave birth to wind.

We have not brought salvation to the earth,

and the people of the world have not come to life.

19 But your dead will live, Lord;

their bodies will rise—

let those who dwell in the dust

wake up and shout for joy—

your dew is like the dew of the morning;

the earth will give birth to her dead.

16 O Lord, in distress they sought you;

they poured out a whispered prayer

when your discipline was upon them.

17 Like a pregnant woman

who writhes and cries out in her pangs

when she is near to giving birth,

so were we because of you, O Lord;

18 we were pregnant, we writhed,

but we have given birth to wind.

We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth,

and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.

19 Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.

You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!

For your dew is a dew of light,

and the earth will give birth to the dead.

16 Lord, In trouble have they visited thee,

They poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.

17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery,

Is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs;

So have we been in thy sight, O Lord.

18 We have been with child, we have been in pain,

We have as it were brought forth wind;

We have not wrought any deliverance in the earth;

Neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

19 Thy dead men shall live,

Together with my dead body shall they arise.

Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust:

For thy dew is as the dew of herbs,

And the earth shall cast out the dead.

16 Lord, in distress we searched for you.

We prayed beneath the burden of your discipline.

17 Just as a pregnant woman

writhes and cries out in pain as she gives birth,

so were we in your presence, Lord.

18 We, too, writhe in agony,

but nothing comes of our suffering.

We have not given salvation to the earth,

nor brought life into the world.

19 But those who die in the Lord will live;

their bodies will rise again!

Those who sleep in the earth

will rise up and sing for joy!

For your life-giving light will fall like dew

on your people in the place of the dead!

16 Lord, people remember you when they are in trouble;

they say quiet prayers to you when you punish them.

17 Lord, when we are with you,

we are like a woman giving birth to a baby;

she cries and has pain from the birth.

18 In the same way, we had pain.

We gave birth, but only to wind.

We don’t bring salvation to the land

or make new people for the world.

19 Your people have died, but they will live again;

their bodies will rise from death.

You who lie in the ground,

wake up and be happy!

The dew covering you is like the dew of a new day;

the ground will give birth to the dead.

16 Jehovah, in trouble have they visited thee; they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. 17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain and crieth out in her pangs; so we have been before thee, O Jehovah. 18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. 19 Thy dead shall live; my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast forth the dead.

16 Jehovah, in trouble they sought thee; they poured out their whispered prayer when thy chastening was upon them. 17 As a woman with child, that draweth near her delivery, is in travail, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been before thee, Jehovah. 18 We have been with child, we have been in travail, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought the deliverance of the land, neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. 19 Thy dead shall live, my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing in triumph, ye that dwell in dust; for thy dew is the dew of the morning, and the earth shall cast forth the dead.

16 O Lord, the people have come to you in trouble. 

They were humbled by oppression, by your discipline upon them. 

17 O Lord, when we are with you, 

we are like pregnant women ready to give birth. 

They writhe and cry out in their labor pains. 

18 We were pregnant; we writhed with labor pains 

only to give birth to the wind. 

We weren’t able to bring salvation to the land, 

and no new people were born on earth. 

19 Your dead will live. 

Their corpses will rise. 

Those who lie dead in the dust will wake up and shout for joy, 

because your dew is a refreshing dew, 

and the earth will revive the spirits of the dead. 

16 Lord, they went to You in their distress;

they poured out whispered prayers

because Your discipline fell on them.

17 As a pregnant woman about to give birth

writhes and cries out in her pains,

so we were before You, Lord.

18 We became pregnant, we writhed in pain;

we gave birth to wind.

We have won no victories on earth,

and the earth’s inhabitants have not fallen.

19 Your dead will live; their bodies will rise.

Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust!

For you will be covered with the morning dew,

and the earth will bring out the departed spirits.

16 O Lord, in distress they sought you,

they poured out a prayer

when your chastening was on them.

17 Like a woman with child,

who writhes and cries out in her pangs

when she is near her time,

so were we because of you, O Lord;

18 we were with child, we writhed,

but we gave birth only to wind.

We have won no victories on earth,

and no one is born to inhabit the world.

19 Your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise.

O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy!

For your dew is a radiant dew,

and the earth will give birth to those long dead.

16 Yahweh, in distress they have visited you;

they poured out an incantation;

your discipline was on them.

17 Like a pregnant woman on the point of giving birth, she writhes;

she cries in her labor pains.

So we were because of your presence, Yahweh.

18 We became pregnant, we writhed;

we gave birth to wind.

We cannot bring about deliverance on the earth,

and no inhabitants of the world are born.

19 Your dead shall live; their corpses shall rise.

Wake up and sing for joy, dwellers of the dust,

for your dew is celestial dew,

and the earth will give birth to dead spirits.

16 Lord, when your people were suffering, they came to you.

When you punished them,

they could barely whisper a prayer.

17 Lord, you made us like a woman who is having a baby.

She groans and cries out in pain.

18 We were pregnant. We groaned with pain.

But nothing was born.

We didn’t bring your saving power to the earth.

We didn’t give life to the people of the world.

19 Israel, those among you who have died will live again.

Their bodies will rise from the dead.

You who lie in the grave,

wake up and shout with joy.

The dew of the morning gives life to the earth.

So the earth will give up its dead people.

16 O Lord, they sought You in distress;

They could only whisper a prayer,

Your chastening was upon them.

17 As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth,

She writhes and cries out in her labor pains,

Thus were we before You, O Lord.

18 We were pregnant, we writhed in labor,

We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind.

We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth,

Nor were inhabitants of the world born.

19 Your dead will live;

Their corpses will rise.

You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy,

For your dew is as the dew of the dawn,

And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.