^17 (A)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.

⁷ “Before she travailed, ^(B)she brought forth;
Before her pain came, ^(C)she gave birth to a boy.
⁸ “^(D)Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?
Can a land be ^[a]born in one day?
Can a nation be brought forth all at once?
As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.
⁹ “Shall I bring to the point of birth and ^(E)not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” says your God.

⁹ “Now, why do you ^(A)cry out loudly?
Is there no king among you,
Or has your ^(B)counselor perished,
That agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth?
¹⁰ “^(C)Writhe and labor to give birth,
Daughter of Zion,
Like a woman in childbirth;
For now you will ^(D)go out of the city,
Dwell in the field,
And go to Babylon.
^(E)There you will be rescued;
^(F)There the Lord will redeem you
From the hand of your enemies.
¹¹ “And now ^(G)many nations have been assembled against you
Who say, ‘Let her be polluted,
And let our eyes ^[a]gloat over Zion.’
¹² “But they do not ^(H)know the thoughts of the Lord,
And they do not understand His purpose;
For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
¹³ “Arise and ^(I)thresh, daughter of Zion,
For your horn I will make iron
And your hoofs I will make bronze,
That you may ^(J)pulverize many peoples,
That you may ^(K)devote to the Lord their unjust gain
And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.