<p class="poetry">&#8220;Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">asks the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">asks your God.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">You conceive straw,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you give birth to chaff;p> <p class="poetry">your breath is a fire that destroys you.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Danger awaits one who says<n id="1" /> to his father,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;What in the world<n id="2" /> are you fathering?&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">and to his mother,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;What in the world are you bringing forth?&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">As when a pregnant woman gets ready to deliverp> <p class="poetry">and strains and cries out because of her labor pains,p> <p class="poetry">so were we because of you, O <sc>Lordsc>.p>

&#8216;Some of your very own descendants whom you father<n id="1" /> will be taken away and will be made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.&#8217;&#8221;

<p class="poetry">&#8220;I have been inactive<n id="1" /> for a long time;p> <p class="poetry">I kept quiet and held back.p> <p class="poetry">Like a woman in labor I groan;p> <p class="poetry">I pant and gasp.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">There was no one to lead herp> <p class="poetry">among all the children she bore;p> <p class="poetry">there was no one to take her by the handp> <p class="poetry">among all the children she raised.p>

<p class="poetry">Before she goes into labor, she gives birth!p> <p class="poetry">Before her contractions begin, she delivers a boy!p>

<p class="poetry">Who has ever heard of such a thing?p> <p class="poetry">Who has ever seen this?p> <p class="poetry">Can a country<n id="1" /> be brought forth in one day?p> <p class="poetry">Can a nation be born in a single moment?p> <p class="poetry">Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!p>

For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign.<n id="1" /> Look, this<n id="2" /> young woman<n id="3" /> is about to conceive<n id="4" /> and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him<n id="5" /> Immanuel.<n id="6" />

I then had sexual relations with the prophetess; she conceived and gave birth to a son. The <sc>Lordsc> told me, &#8220;Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz,

<p class="poetry">They panic &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">cramps and pain seize hold of themp> <p class="poetry">like those of a woman who is straining to give birth.p> <p class="poetry">They look at one another in astonishment;p> <p class="poetry">their faces are flushed red.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">For this reason my stomach churns;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">cramps overwhelm mep> <p class="poetry">like the contractions of a woman in labor.p> <p class="poetry">I am disturbed<n id="2" /> by what I hear,p> <p class="poetry">horrified by what I see.p>

<p class="poetry">Be ashamed, O Sidon,p> <p class="poetry">for the sea<n id="1" /> says this, O fortress of the sea:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I have not gone into laborp> <p class="poetry">or given birth;p> <p class="poetry">I have not raised young menp> <p class="poetry">or brought up young women.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">We were pregnant, we strained,p> <p class="poetry">we gave birth, as it were, to wind.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">We cannot produce deliverance on the earth;p> <p class="poetry">people to populate the world are not born.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth!p> <p class="poetry">Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor!p> <p class="poetry">For the children of the desolate one are more numerousp> <p class="poetry">than the children of the married woman,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">No one is concerned about justice;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">no one sets forth his case truthfully.p> <p class="poetry">They depend on false words<n id="2" /> and tell lies;p> <p class="poetry">they conceive of oppression<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and give birth to sin.p>

<p class="poetry">They will not work in vain,p> <p class="poetry">or give birth to children that will experience disaster.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> will bless their childrenp> <p class="poetry">and their descendants.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For a child has been<n id="1" /> born to us,p> <p class="poetry">a son has been given to us.p> <p class="poetry">He shoulders responsibilityp> <p class="poetry">and is called:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Extraordinary Strategist,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Mighty God,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Everlasting Father,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Prince of Peace.<n id="6" />p>

&#8220;This is what Hezekiah says:<n id="1" /> &#8216;This is a day of distress, insults,<n id="2" /> and humiliation,<n id="3" /> as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through.<n id="4" />