He was despised and rejected by people, ¹  one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him; ²  he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. ³ 

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?

Look! Like an eagle with outspread wings, a nation will soar up and swoop down on Bozrah. At that time the soldiers of Edom will be as fearful as a woman in labor.” ¹ 

Ashkelon will see and be afraid; Gaza will be in great anguish, as will Ekron, for her hope will have been dried up. ¹  Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will no longer be inhabited.

And I wrote this very thing to you, ¹  so that when I came ²  I would not have sadness from those who ought to make me rejoice, since I am confident in you all that my joy would be yours.

Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad, ¹  but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad as God intended, ²  so that you were not harmed ³  in any way by us.

For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; ¹  break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, because the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband.” ² 

Sarah’s demand displeased Abraham greatly because Ishmael was his son. ¹ 

The nations will hear ¹  and tremble; anguish ²  will seize ³  the inhabitants of Philistia.

Now, look, I have made every effort to supply what is needed to build the Lord’s temple. ¹  I have stored up 100,000 talents ²  of gold, 1,000,000 ³  talents of silver, and so much bronze and iron it cannot be weighed, as well as wood and stones. Feel free to add more!

For I am overcome with shame ¹  and my whole body is sick. ² 

But God will shoot ¹  at them; suddenly they will be ²  wounded by an arrow. ³ 

in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners, and to set free those condemned to die, ¹ 

They sat in utter darkness, ¹  bound in painful iron chains, ² 

As for their enemies, ¹  they decreased in number and were beaten down, because of painful distress ²  and suffering.

For I am oppressed and needy, and my heart beats violently within me. ¹ 

He heals ¹  the brokenhearted, and bandages their wounds.

but in the end ¹  she is bitter ²  as wormwood, ³  sharp as a two-edged ⁴  sword.

Even in laughter the heart may ache, ¹  and the end ²  of joy may be ³  grief.

A joyful heart ¹  makes the face cheerful, ²  but by a painful heart the spirit is broken.