Parallel Verses

International Standard Version

Ask about this and think about it Can a man give birth to a child? Why then do I see every strong man with his hands on his thighs like a woman giving birth, and all their faces have turned pale?

New American Standard Bible

‘Ask now, and see
If a male can give birth.
Why do I see every man
With his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth?
And why have all faces turned pale?

King James Version

Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

Holman Bible

Ask and see
whether a male can give birth.
Why then do I see every man
with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor
and every face turned pale?

A Conservative Version

Ask ye now, and see whether a man travails with child. Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

American Standard Version

Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child: wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

Amplified


‘Ask now, and see
Whether a man can give birth [to a child].
Why then do I see every man
With his hands on his loins, as a woman in labor?
Why have all faces turned pale?

Bible in Basic English

Put the question and see if it is possible for a man to have birth-pains: why do I see every man with his hands gripping his sides, as a woman does when the pains of birth are on her, and all faces are turned green?

Darby Translation

Ask ye now, and see, whether a male doth travail with child? Wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail; and all faces are turned into paleness?

Julia Smith Translation

Ask ye now, and see if a male brought forth? wherefore did I see every man his hands upon his loins as she bringing forth, and all faces were turned to paleness?

King James 2000

Ask you now, and see whether a man does travail with child? why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

Lexham Expanded Bible

Ask please and see whether a male can bear a child. Why [do] I see every strong man [with] his hands on his loins like a woman giving birth? And [why] are all [their] faces changed to paleness?

Modern King James verseion

Ask now, and see whether a man is giving birth? Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, like a woman in labor, and all faces are turned into paleness?

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

For what else doth this signify, that I see? Namely, that all strong men smite every man his hand upon his loins, as a woman in the pain of her travail. Who ever saw a man travail with child? Enquire thereafter, and see. Yea, all their faces are marvelous pale.

NET Bible

Ask yourselves this and consider it carefully: 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 a woman giving birth? And why do their faces turn so deathly pale?

New Heart English Bible

Ask now, and see whether a man does travail with child: why do I see every man with his hands on his waist, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

The Emphasized Bible

Ask, I pray you, and see, whether a male travaileth with child! Why have I seen Every man with his hands upon his loins like a woman in travail, and Every face turned into ghastliness?

Webster

Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

World English Bible

Ask now, and see whether a man does travail with child: why do I see every man with his hands on his waist, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

Youngs Literal Translation

Ask, I pray you, and see, is a male bringing forth? Wherefore have I seen every man, His hands on his loins, as a travailing woman, And all faces have been turned to paleness?

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
Ask
שׁאל שׁאל 
Sha'al 
Usage: 172

ye now, and see
ראה 
Ra'ah 
Usage: 1308

זכר 
Zakar 
Usage: 83

ילד 
Yalad 
Usage: 497

wherefore do I see
ראה 
Ra'ah 
Usage: 1308

גּבר 
Geber 
Usage: 65

with his hands
יד 
Yad 
Usage: 1612

on his loins
חלץ 
Chalats 
Usage: 10

as a woman in travail
ילד 
Yalad 
Usage: 497

and all faces
פּנים 
Paniym 
Usage: 2119

References

Morish

Context Readings

Israel And Judah Will Be Delivered From Their Distress

5 "Indeed, this is what the LORD says: "We have heard a sound of terror and of fear, and there is no peace. 6 Ask about this and think about it Can a man give birth to a child? Why then do I see every strong man with his hands on his thighs like a woman giving birth, and all their faces have turned pale? 7 Oh how terrible! That time will be worse than any like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be rescued from it.


Cross References

Jeremiah 4:31

I heard a cry like that of a woman in labor, anguish like one giving birth to her firstborn, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for air, stretching out her hand: "Woe is me! I'm about to faint in front of killers!"

Jeremiah 6:24

We have heard the news about it, and our hands are limp. Distress has seized us like a woman in labor.

Jeremiah 22:23

You who live in Lebanon, who build your nest in the cedars, how you will groan when pains come upon you, pain like that of a woman giving birth.

Joel 2:6

The people are terrified in their presence; every face grows pale.

Nahum 2:10

Nineveh is devastated, deserted, and desolate. Her heart melts, her knees knock. Every stomach is upset, every face grows pale.

Psalm 48:6

Trembling seized them there, pains like those of a woman in labor,

Isaiah 13:6-9

Wail out loud, because the Day of the LORD is near. It will come like destruction from the Almighty!

Isaiah 21:3

Therefore my body is racked with pain; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor; I am so upset that I cannot hear; I am so frightened that I cannot see while I'm reeling around.

Isaiah 29:22

"Therefore, this is what the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, says concerning the house of Jacob: "No longer will Jacob be ashamed; no longer will his face grow pale.

Jeremiah 13:21

What will you say when the LORD appoints over you as your head those whom you taught to be your allies? Pain will seize you like that seizing a woman about to give birth, will it not?

Jeremiah 49:24

Damascus will become weak. She will turn to flee, but panic will seize her. Distress and anguish will take hold of her like that of a woman giving birth.

Jeremiah 50:43

The king of Babylon has heard the news about them, and his hands hang limp. Distress has seized him, like a woman in labor.

Daniel 5:6

While the king watched the back of the hand as it was writing, his facial expression changed. Utterly frightened, he lost control of his own bowels and his knees knocked together.

Hosea 13:13

When the time of childbirth comes, he will be so foolish that he will refuse to be born."

Micah 4:9-10

Why are you crying so loud now? There's no king among you, is there? Perhaps your advisor has died? For pain has overtaken you like a woman in labor.

John 16:21-22

When a woman is in labor she has pain, because her time has come. Yet when she has given birth to her child, she doesn't remember the agony anymore because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:3

When people say, "There is peace and security," destruction will strike them as suddenly as labor pains come to a pregnant woman, and they will not be able to escape.

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain