John 16:21 · KJV
“A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.”
— John 16:21
Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
John 16 — Context
Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?
20Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
21A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
22And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
23And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give {it} you.
Cross References
Isaiah 13:8
And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces {shall be as} flames. {be amazed: Heb. wonder} {one...: Heb. every man at his neighbour} {flames: Heb. faces of the flames}
Psalms 113:9
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, {and to be} a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD. {to keep...: Heb. to dwell in an house}
1 Thessalonians 5:3
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Jeremiah 30:6-7
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? {a man: Heb. a male}
Hosea 13:13-14
The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he {is} an unwise son; for he should not stay long in {the place of} the breaking forth of children. {long: Heb. a time}
Isaiah 26:16-18
LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer {when} thy chastening {was} upon them. {prayer: Heb. secret speech}
Revelation 12:2-5
And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
Micah 4:10
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.