Isaiah 26:18
16 LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.
17 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.
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- We were with child; we writhed in pain; but we gave birth to wind. We have given no salvation to the earth, nor brought any life into the world.
- KJV
- We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
- WEB
- We have been with child. We have been in pain. We gave birth, it seems, only to wind. We have not worked any deliverance on the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
- ASV
- We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
- DARBY
- We have been with child, we have been in travail, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought the deliverance of the land, neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
- BLB
- We were pregnant; we writhed; we gave birth as if [to] the wind; we have not accomplished salvation [on] earth, and those dwelling in the world have not fallen.
- ÅB
- Vi var fruktsommelige, vi vred oss; men da vi fødte, var det bare vind; frelse gav vi ikke landet, og ingen ble født til å bo på jorden.
- OTB
- Vi var gravide, vi vred oss i fødsel, men vi fødte vind. Vi kunne ikke oppnå frelse for jorden, og verdens innbyggere ble ikke født.
- B1930
- Vi var fruktsommelige, vi vred oss; men da vi fødte, var det bare vind; frelse gav vi ikke landet, og ingen blev født til å bo på jorden.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Hosea 13:13
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.
Read in contextPsalms 17:14
From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
Read in contextIsaiah 59:4
None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
Read in contextIsaiah 37:3
And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
Read in context2 Kings 19:3
And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
Read in contextIsaiah 33:11
Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.
Read in context1 Samuel 11:13
And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.
Read in context1 John 5:19
And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
Read in context