Ask yourselves this and consider it carefully: ¹  Have you ever seen a man give birth to a baby? Why then do I see all these strong men grabbing their stomachs in pain like ²  a woman giving birth? And why do their faces turn so deathly pale?

So the Lord ¹  will hand the people of Israel ²  over to their enemies ³  until the time when the woman in labor ⁴  gives birth. ⁵  Then the rest of the king’s ⁶  countrymen will return to be reunited with the people of Israel. ⁷ 

because we recall ¹  in the presence of our God and Father ²  your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope ³  in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now when ¹  they are saying, “There is peace and security,” ²  then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains ³  on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape.

He handed the territory of nations over to them, and they took possession of what other peoples had produced, ¹ 

May the creditor seize ¹  all he owns! May strangers loot his property! ² 

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

My children – I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you! ¹ 

and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil, for these things ¹  are a gift from God.

The people of Damascus will lose heart and turn to flee. Panic will grip them. Pain and anguish will seize them like a woman in labor.

Now if I am to go on living in the body, ¹  this will mean productive work ²  for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer: ³ 

and they ¹  made the Israelites serve rigorously. ² 

Look at them shake uncontrollably, ¹  like a woman writhing in childbirth. ² 

The young men perform menial labor; ¹  boys stagger from their labor. ² 

When he sees ¹  a good resting place, and the pleasant land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and become a slave laborer. ² 

The Ephraimites ¹  did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites live among the Ephraimites to this very day and do hard labor as their servants.

King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, ¹  the supervisor of the work crews, ²  out after them, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. ³ 

King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, ¹  the supervisor of the work crews, out after them, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. ² 

A song of ascents, ²  by Solomon. If the Lord does not build a house, ³  then those who build it work in vain. If the Lord does not guard a city, ⁴  then the watchman stands guard in vain.

I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; ¹  I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. ²  So all my accomplishments gave me joy; ³  this was my reward for all my effort. ⁴