New Living Translation (NLT)

Some parts of verse 12 from English Standard Version (ESV):

• 'Peace like a river ... overflowing stream'
• 'carried upon ... her knees'

Italics 'like' orig. 'as'

There is so much to say about this chapter and these verses. That day when there will finally be peace in Jerusalem, a new earth, a new heaven, it's hard to imagine. But man, it's gonna be glorious!

However, I will (try to) limit myself to the thing that stood out most to me: God is like a mom.

I love that.

Apparently, the dad part will work up to a point. But if you need to be comforted, really comforted, it's like, "Dads out of the way, here comes Mom!"

And it makes sense; the Hebrew word 'ruach' for the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, is a feminine noun.

After all, man and woman are made in the image of God.

Here, the tenderness and gentleness speak to me; no, it grabs me and moves me.

In verse 12, God says: "Her (Jerusalem's) children will be nursed at her breasts (NLT), carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees." (ESV)

Right after that, God says, "I will comfort you there, as a mother comforts her child."

In my mind, I saw God bouncing me upon His knees.

'Cause after all, He says He wipes away all of our tears. But comforting doesn't stop there.

When I think about my mom, whenever I had a tumble as a child, she would kiss me, speak comforting words, wipe away my tears, and then distract me by, for instance, bouncing me on her knees till I'd laugh so hard I had forgotten all about my sorrow.

Maybe that's why Jesus said we can't enter the Kingdom of God unless we become like little children. (Matt 18:3) 😉