In verse 10 the prophet returns to the image of birth pains and tells the people of Jerusalem (literally “daughter of Zion,” Revised Standard Version) that they will indeed have to suffer pain like a woman giving birth to a child.
There are two points in these phrases where the Hebrew wording is the same as in an earlier verse, but where Good News Translation has translated slightly differently. In the Hebrew the prophet speaks to the “daughter of Zion” both here and in verse 8. In verse 8, where the city as a place is in focus, Good News Translation translates this as Jerusalem. Here, where we are told that the people will leave the city, “Jerusalem” alone would not make sense, and Good News Translation has people of Jerusalem. Also Good News Translation‘s two expressions, like a woman in labor (verse 9) and like a woman giving birth (verse 10), are translations of the same Hebrew expression. The two English expressions mean almost the same thing, and Good News Translation has probably used different expressions because it sounds better in English, rather than to suggest any difference in meaning. Translators may use the same or different expressions in these two verses, according to what sounds best in their languages.
The people are told to Twist and groan. Twist means to move one’s body back and forth because the pain is so great. This is of course figurative language to show the agony of the people, and the translator should feel free to use words in his own language that will convey the picture of the pains of the woman in childbirth.
The cause of this agony is that the people will have to leave the city. This is a plain reference to the exile. The reason that the people have to leave the city is that enemies will force them to leave. In some languages it may be necessary to make this clear in the translation. There will be severe hardships on the journey, as the people will have nowhere to stay but will live in the open country. The open country refers primarily to land that is away from the towns and villages, so that there is no place for shelter from the weather. It is also open in the sense of having few trees, but this is not particularly important in this context, and the translator will not need to stress this point if it is a problem in his language.
The destination of the people will be Babylon. Again, in some languages it may be clearer to say “you will be taken away to Babylon” or “your enemies will take you to Babylon.” Babylon is a very distant land, and their exile there might lead the people to suppose that they would be separated from the Lord. But the prophet assures them that this is not so. Even there the LORD will save you from your enemies, presumably the Babylonians themselves. Those whom the Lord saves will become the remnant with whom he will make the new beginning spoken of in verse 7.
Save in Good News Translation translates two Hebrew verbs, given as “rescued” and “redeem” in Revised Standard Version. The root of the verb “redeem” is the same as that used of Boaz in his responsibilities towards Naomi and Ruth in the Book of Ruth (see A Handbook on The Book of Ruth, page 41, for further details). If a language has a expression that implies helping a relative who is in great danger, such a term may be excellent here. In other languages it is probably best not to make a special effort to emphasize this point, as it is not especially emphasized in the Hebrew. When choosing the term or terms to translate what the Lord will do, one should imagine the situation. Some of your people are in the hands of your enemies, and you must save them by an act of strength. What would be the appropriate terms to describe this?
The word “redeem” (Revised Standard Version) in English sometimes implies that money will be paid to the enemies, as does “ransom,” used by Jerusalem Bible. But this is merely figurative language, and the translator should not suggest that God is going to pay the Babylonians to free his people.
The expression from your enemies is literally “from the hand of your enemies.” The more literal wording may sound more natural in some languages.
Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. et al. A Handbook on Micah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1978, 1982, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .