Jer 4:31
For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, {and} the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, {that} bewaileth herself, {that} spreadeth her hands, {saying}, Woe {is} me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.
King James Version
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Connections · 54
Parallel · 54
And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. {make...: Heb. multiply prayer} {blood: Heb. bloods}
Zion spreadeth forth her hands, {and there is} none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, {that} his adversaries {should be} round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.
What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them {to be} captains, {and} as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail? {punish: Heb visit upon}
Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: {there is} no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. {when...: Heb. the gatherings of summer}
Damascus is waxed feeble, {and} turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on {her}: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they {are} cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.
Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing {of it}; I was dismayed at the seeing {of it}.
My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. {weary...: or, cut off while I live}
O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail! {inhabitant: Heb. inhabitress}
Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs. {Kerioth: or, The cities}
Then said I, Woe {is} me! for I am undone; because I {am} a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. {undone: Heb. cut off}
Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, {which} refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, {and as} waters {that} fail? {fail: Heb. be not sure?}
Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this {is} a grief, and I must bear it.
And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: {mine hearing: Heb. mine ears}
And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces {shall be as} flames. {be amazed: Heb. wonder} {one...: Heb. every man at his neighbour} {flames: Heb. faces of the flames}
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? {a man: Heb. a male}
If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not. {go about...: or, make merchandise against a land, and men acknowledge it not}
Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their {blood} by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and {be} widows; and let their men be put to death; {let} their young men {be} slain by the sword in battle. {pour...: Heb. pour them out}
Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, {that} I dwell in the tents of Kedar!
The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he {is} an unwise son; for he should not stay long in {the place of} the breaking forth of children. {long: Heb. a time}
For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and spoiled. {to be...: Heb. for a removing and spoil}
Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch;
I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate {woman}. {comely: or, dwelling at home}
The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, {and} pangs as of a woman in travail.
I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, {and} refrained myself: {now} will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once. {devour: Heb. swallow, or, sup up}
Behold, O LORD; for I {am} in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home {there is} as death.
For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these {which are} of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?
The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou hast slain {them} in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, {and} not pitied.
But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? {a man: Heb. a male}
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Zion spreadeth forth her hands, {and there is} none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, {that} his adversaries {should be} round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.
What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them {to be} captains, {and} as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail? {punish: Heb visit upon}
We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, {and} pain, as of a woman in travail.
Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots {shall be} as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate {woman}. {comely: or, dwelling at home}
The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he {is} an unwise son; for he should not stay long in {the place of} the breaking forth of children. {long: Heb. a time}
Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this {is} a grief, and I must bear it.
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.
Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces {shall be as} flames. {be amazed: Heb. wonder} {one...: Heb. every man at his neighbour} {flames: Heb. faces of the flames}
Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.
Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs. {Kerioth: or, The cities}
Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward. {is...: Heb. is become a removing, or, wandering}
Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.
Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing {shall be} in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.
Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: {there is} no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. {when...: Heb. the gatherings of summer}
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, {that there shall be} the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these {are} the beginnings of sorrows. {sorrows: the word in the original importeth "the pains of a woman in travail"}
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire {shall be} to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. {to thy...: or, subject to thy husband}