Isaiah 66:7–10

“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 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.

“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,

all you who love her;

rejoice with her in joy,

all you who mourn over her;

“Before she goes into labor,

she gives birth;

before the pains come upon her,

she delivers a son.

Who has ever heard of such things?

Who has ever seen things like this?

Can a country be born in a day

or a nation be brought forth in a moment?

Yet no sooner is Zion in labor

than she gives birth to her children.

Do I bring to the moment of birth

and not give delivery?” says the Lord.

“Do I close up the womb

when I bring to delivery?” says your God.

“Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,

all you who love her;

rejoice greatly with her,

all you who mourn over her.

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.

Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her,

all who love her.

Rejoice greatly with her,

all who mourn over her—

“Before the birth pains even begin,

Jerusalem gives birth to a son.

Who has ever seen anything as strange as this?

Who ever heard of such a thing?

Has a nation ever been born in a single day?

Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment?

But by the time Jerusalem’s birth pains begin,

her children will be born.

Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth

and then not deliver it?” asks the Lord.

“No! I would never keep this nation from being born,”

says your God.

“Rejoice with Jerusalem!

Be glad with her, all you who love her

and all you who mourn for her.

Before she was in labor she gave birth;

before labor pains came to her, she gave birth to a son.

Who has heard anything like this?

Who has seen anything like these things?

Can a land be born in one day?

Or can a nation be born in a moment?

Yet when she was in labor, Zion indeed gave birth to her children.

Shall I myself break open and not deliver?” says Yahweh,

“or I who delivers lock up the womb?” says your God.

“Rejoice with Jerusalem

and shout in exultation with her, all those who love her!

Rejoice with her in joy, all those who mourn over her,

Before she travailed, she brought forth;

Before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.

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.

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.

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: