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20 The children ·born to you while you were sad [L of your bereavement]
    will say to you,
‘This place is too small for us.
    Give us a bigger place to live.’
21 Then you will say ·to yourself [L in your heart],
    ‘Who ·gave me all these children [bore me these]?
I was ·sad [bereaved] and ·lonely [barren],
    ·defeated [rejected] and ·separated from my people [exiled].
    So who reared these children?
I was left all alone.
    Where did all these children come from?’”

22 This is what the Lord God says:
“See, I will lift my hand ·to signal [L to] the nations;
    I will raise my banner for all the people to see.
Then they will bring your sons back to you in their ·arms [L bosom; lap],
    and they will carry your daughters on their shoulders [C Jews returning from exile are pictured as children returning to their parents].

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20 The children born during your bereavement
    will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too small for us;
    give us more space to live in.’(A)
21 Then you will say in your heart,
    ‘Who bore me these?(B)
I was bereaved(C) and barren;
    I was exiled and rejected.(D)
    Who brought these(E) up?
I was left(F) all alone,(G)
    but these—where have they come from?’”

22 This is what the Sovereign Lord(H) says:

“See, I will beckon to the nations,
    I will lift up my banner(I) to the peoples;
they will bring(J) your sons in their arms
    and carry your daughters on their hips.(K)

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