Esajas 21

1 Profeti imod Havets Ørk. Ligesom Hvirvelvinde fare frem i Syden, saa kommer det fra Ørken, fra det forfærdelige Land.

The burden of the wilderness of the sea. Like windstorms in the south for passing through, It has come from the wilderness, From a fearful land.

2 Mig er kundgjort et haardt Syn: Røveren røver, og Ødelæggeren ødelægger; drag op, Elam! træng paa Madaj! jeg har gjort, at hvert Suk hører op.

A hard vision has been declared to me, The treacherous dealer is dealing treacherously, And the destroyer is destroying. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Media, I have caused all its sighing to cease.

3 Derfor ere mine Lænder fulde af Smerter, Veer have betaget mig ligesom Veer den fødende; jeg vrider mig, saa jeg ikke kan høre, jeg er forfærdet, saa at jeg ikke kan se.

Therefore my loins have been filled [with] great pain, Pangs have seized me as pangs of a travailing woman, I have been bent down by hearing, I have been troubled by seeing.

4 Mit Hjerte er forvildet, Gru har forfærdet mig, Tusmørket, som var min Lyst, er blevet mig til Rædsel.

My heart has wandered, trembling has terrified me, He has made the twilight of my desire a fear to me,

5 Man dækker Bord, Vagten vaager, man æder, man drikker; — „gører eder rede, I Fyrster! salver Skjoldet!‟

Arrange the table, watch in the watchtower, Eat, drink, rise, you heads, anoint the shield,

6 Thi saa sagde Herren til mig: Gak, sæt en Vægter ud, lad ham kundgøre, hvad han ser.

For thus said the Lord to me: “Go, station the watchman, Let him declare that which he sees.”

7 Og ser han Vogne, Ryttere parvis, Vogne, dragne af Asener, Vogne, dragne af Kameler, da skal han give Agt, nøje Agt.

And he has seen a chariot—a couple of horsemen, The rider of a donkey, the rider of a camel, And he has given attention—He has increased attention!

8 Og han raabte som en Løve: Herre! jeg staar stadig paa Vagt om Dagen, jeg staar paa min Vare hver Nat.

And he cries, “A lion, my lord! I am continually standing on a watchtower by day, And I am stationed on my ward whole nights.

9 Og se! da kom der Vogne med Folk, Ryttere parvis; og han svarede og sagde: Babel er falden, den er falden, og man har kastet alle dens Gudebilleder knuste til Jorden!

And behold, this, the chariot of a man is coming, A couple of horsemen.” And he answers and says: “Fallen, fallen has Babylon, And He has broken all the carved images of her gods to the earth.

10 Du, min tærskede, og du, som har været lagt paa min Lo! det, jeg hørte af den Herre Zebaoth, Israels Gud, kundgjorde jeg eder.

O my threshing, and the son of my floor, That which I heard from YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel, I have declared to you!”

11 Profeti imod Duma. Der raaber en til mig fra Seir: Vægter, hvordan skrider Natten? Vægter, hvordan skrider Natten?

The burden of Dumah. [One] is calling to me from Seir, “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?”

12 Vægteren siger: Der kommer Morgen, men ogsaa Nat; ville I spørge, saa spørger! kommer igen en anden Gang.

The watchman has said, “Morning has come, and also night, If you inquire, inquire, return, come.”

13 Profeti imod Arabien. I skulle blive Natten over i Skoven i Arabien, I rejsende Hobe af Dedaniter!

The burden on Arabia. You lodge in a forest in Arabia, O caravans of Dedanim.

14 De komme den tørstige i Møde med Vand; Indbyggerne i Themas Land møde den flygtende med Brød.

Inhabitants of the land of Tema Have brought water to meet the thirsty, With his bread they came before a fugitive.

15 Thi de flyede for Sværd, for det dragne Sværd, for den spændte Bue og for den svare Krig.

For they fled from the face of destructions, From the face of an outstretched sword, And from the face of a trodden bow, And from the face of the grievousness of battle.

16 Thi saa sagde Herren til mig: Endnu inden et Aar, som en Daglønners Aar, da skal al Kedars Herlighed faa Ende.

For thus said the Lord to me: “Within a year, as years of a hired worker, All the glory of Kedar has been consumed.

17 Og Tallet af Buerne, som blive tilbage for de vældige af Kedars Børn, skal formindskes; thi Herren, Israels Gud, har talt det.

And the remnant of the number of bow-men, The mighty of the sons of Kedar, are few, For YHWH, God of Israel, has spoken!”