66:7 Before she goes into labor, she gives birth!
Before her contractions begin, she delivers a boy!
66:8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?
Who has ever seen this?
Can a country 1 be brought forth in one day?
Can a nation be born in a single moment?
Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!
66:9 “Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?”
asks the Lord.
“Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?”
asks your God. 2
66:10 Be happy for Jerusalem
and rejoice with her, all you who love her!
Share in her great joy,
all you who have mourned over her!
66:11 For 3 you will nurse from her satisfying breasts and be nourished; 4
you will feed with joy from her milk-filled breasts. 5
66:12 For this is what the Lord says:
“Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,
the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks. 6
You will nurse from her breast 7 and be carried at her side;
you will play on her knees.
66:13 As a mother consoles a child, 8
so I will console you,
and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”
66:14 When you see this, you will be happy, 9
and you will be revived. 10
The Lord will reveal his power to his servants
and his anger to his enemies. 11
1 tn Heb “land,” but here אֶרֶץ (’erets) stands metonymically for an organized nation (see the following line).
2 sn The rhetorical questions expect the answer, “Of course not!”
3 tn Or “in order that”; ASV, NRSV “that.”
4 tn Heb “you will suck and be satisfied, from her comforting breast.”
5 tn Heb “you will slurp and refresh yourselves from her heavy breast.”
6 tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity [or “peace”], and like an overflowing stream, the riches of nations.”
7 tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).
8 tn Heb “like a man whose mother comforts him.”
9 tn “and you will see and your heart will be happy.”
10 tn Heb “and your bones like grass will sprout.”
11 tn Heb “and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, and anger to his enemies.”