"So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity.

"I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; Everyone will fight against his brother, And everyone against his neighbor, City against city, kingdom against kingdom.

Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, disaster shall go forth From nation to nation, And a great whirlwind shall be raised up From the farthest parts of the earth.

I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots And those who ride in them; The horses and their riders shall come down, Every one by the sword of his brother.

It shall come to pass in that day [That] a great panic from the LORD will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor, And raise his hand against his neighbor's hand;

Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that [people] should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.

"All these [are] the beginning of sorrows.

Fear took hold of them there, [And] pain, as of a woman in birth pangs,

And they said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah: 'This day [is] a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but [there is] no strength to bring them forth.

"For I have heard a voice as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, The voice of the daughter of Zion bewailing herself; She spreads her hands, [saying,] 'Woe [is] me now, for my soul is weary Because of murderers!'

We have heard the report of it; Our hands grow feeble. Anguish has taken hold of us, Pain as of a woman in labor.

What will you say when He punishes you? For you have taught them [To be] chieftains, to be head over you. Will not pangs seize you, Like a woman in labor?

O inhabitant of Lebanon, Making your nest in the cedars, How gracious will you be when pangs come upon you, Like the pain of a woman in labor?

Damascus has grown feeble; She turns to flee, And fear has seized [her.] Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor.

"The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, And his hands grow feeble; Anguish has taken hold of him, Pangs as of a woman in childbirth.

Now why do you cry aloud? [Is there] no king in your midst? Has your counselor perished? For pangs have seized you like a woman in labor.

Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, Like a woman in birth pangs. For now you shall go forth from the city, You shall dwell in the field, And to Babylon you shall go. There you shall be delivered; There the LORD will redeem you From the hand of your enemies.

For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.