Micah 4:10
8 And you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion— the former dominion will be restored to you; sovereignty will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem.”
9 Why do you now cry aloud? Is there no king among you? Has your counselor perished so that anguish grips you like a woman in labor?
Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor. For now you will leave the city and camp in the open fields. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies!
11 But now many nations have assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let us feast our eyes on Zion.”
12 But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD or understand His plan, for He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
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
- Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor. For now you will leave the city and camp in the open fields. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies!
- KJV
- Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
- WEB
- Be in pain, and labor to give birth, daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now you will go out of the city, and will dwell in the field, and will come even to Babylon. There you will be rescued. There the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.
- ASV
- Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and shalt dwell in the field, and shalt come even unto Babylon: there shalt thou be rescued; there will Jehovah redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
- DARBY
- Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon: there shalt thou be delivered; there Jehovah will redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
- BLB
- Writhe, and bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor. For now you will go forth from the city, and you will dwell in the field, and you will go to Babylon. There you will be delivered, there YHWH will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.
- ÅB
- Vri deg og skrik, Sions datter,
som en kvinne som føder!
For nå må du dra ut av byen og bo ute på marken.
Du skal komme like til Babel.
Der skal du bli utfridd,
der skal Herren løse deg ut av fiendenes hånd. - OTB
- Vri deg og rop, Sions datter,
Som en fødende kvinne;
For nå skal du forlate byen,
Bo på marken,
Og dra til Babylon.
Der skal du bli befridd,
Der skal Herren forløse deg
Fra dine fienders hånd. - B1930
- Vri dig og jamre dig, Sions datter, som en fødende kvinne! For nu må du dra ut av byen og bo ute på marken, og du skal komme like til Babel. Der skal du bli utfridd, der skal Herren løse dig ut av dine fienders hånd.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Isaiah 48:20
Leave Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare it with a shout of joy, proclaim it, let it go out to the ends of the earth, saying, “The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob!”
Read in contextHosea 2:14
“Therefore, behold, I will allure her and lead her to the wilderness, and speak to her tenderly.
Read in contextHosea 13:13
Labor pains come upon him, but he is an unwise son. When the time arrives, he fails to present himself at the opening of the womb.
Read in contextIsaiah 52:9–12
Break forth in joy, sing together, O ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem.
Read in contextIsaiah 43:14
Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake, I will send to Babylon and bring them all as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
Read in context2 Kings 20:18
And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, will be taken away to be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
Read in contextIsaiah 45:13
I will raise up Cyrus in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild My city and set My exiles free, but not for payment or reward, says the LORD of Hosts.”
Read in contextHosea 1:10
Yet the number of the Israelites will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. And it will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’
Read in context