< Esajas 21 >
1 Profeti imod Havets Ørk. Ligesom Hvirvelvinde fare frem i Syden, saa kommer det fra Ørken, fra det forfærdelige Land.
[I received] this message [from Yahweh about Babylonia], [a land that is] near the [Persian] Gulf [but which will soon be] a desert. [An army] will soon come from the desert to invade that land; it is an army that causes its enemies to be terrified, an army that will come like a whirlwind from the south.
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.
Yahweh showed me a terrifying vision. [In the vision I saw an army] that will betray/deceive people and steal their possessions [after they conquer them]. [Yahweh said], “You armies from Elam and Media, surround [Babylon] and prepare to attack it! I will cause the groaning [and suffering] that Babylon caused 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.
Because of that, my body is full of pain; my pain is like the pain that women who are giving birth experience. When I hear about and see [what God is planning to do], I am shocked.
4 Mit Hjerte er forvildet, Gru har forfærdet mig, Tusmørket, som var min Lyst, er blevet mig til Rædsel.
I cannot think straight/correctly, and I tremble. I was eager for it to be nighttime, but now it is night, and I am horrified.
5 Man dækker Bord, Vagten vaager, man æder, man drikker; — „gører eder rede, I Fyrster! salver Skjoldet!‟
[In the vision I saw that the leaders of Babylonia] were preparing a great feast. They had spread rugs [for people to sit on]; everyone was eating and drinking. [But] they should get up and prepare their shields, [because they are about to be attacked]!
6 Thi saa sagde Herren til mig: Gak, sæt en Vægter ud, lad ham kundgøre, hvad han ser.
Then Yahweh said to me, “Put a watchman [on the wall of Jerusalem], and tell him to shout/proclaim what he sees.
7 Og ser han Vogne, Ryttere parvis, Vogne, dragne af Asener, Vogne, dragne af Kameler, da skal han give Agt, nøje Agt.
Tell him to watch for chariots pulled by pairs of horses, and [men riding] camels and donkeys, [coming from Babylon]. Tell the watchman to watch and listen carefully!”
8 Og han raabte som en Løve: Herre! jeg staar stadig paa Vagt om Dagen, jeg staar paa min Vare hver Nat.
[So I did that], and one day the watchman called out, “Day after day I have stood on this watchtower, and I have continued to watch during the day and during the night.
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!
Now, I saw a man riding in a chariot pulled by two horses. [I called out to him], and he answered/shouted, ‘Babylon has been destroyed! All the idols in Babylon lie in pieces on the ground!’”
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.
My people [in Judah], [the army of Babylon has caused] you to suffer greatly [as though] [MET] you were grain that was threshed and (winnowed/thrown up into the air for the wind to blow away the chaff). [But now] I have told you what the Commander of the armies of angels the God whom we Israelis [worship], told me [about Babylon].
11 Profeti imod Duma. Der raaber en til mig fra Seir: Vægter, hvordan skrider Natten? Vægter, hvordan skrider Natten?
[I received] this message [from Yahweh] about Edom: Someone from Edom has been calling/shouting to me saying, “Watchman, how long will it be before the night is ended? [DOU]”
12 Vægteren siger: Der kommer Morgen, men ogsaa Nat; ville I spørge, saa spørger! kommer igen en anden Gang.
[I], the watchman, replied, “It will [soon] be morning, but after that, it will [soon] be night again. If you want to inquire [again about what will happen in our country], come back and inquire again.”
13 Profeti imod Arabien. I skulle blive Natten over i Skoven i Arabien, I rejsende Hobe af Dedaniter!
[I received] this message about Arabia: Give this message to people traveling in caravans from Dedan [town in northwest Arabia], who camp in the scrub there. Tell them to bring water for those who are thirsty.
14 De komme den tørstige i Møde med Vand; Indbyggerne i Themas Land møde den flygtende med Brød.
And you people who live in Tema [city in northwest Arabia], must bring food for the (refugees/people who are fleeing from their enemies).
15 Thi de flyede for Sværd, for det dragne Sværd, for den spændte Bue og for den svare Krig.
They are fleeing in order not to be killed by [their enemies’] swords and not to be shot in battles by arrows.
16 Thi saa sagde Herren til mig: Endnu inden et Aar, som en Daglønners Aar, da skal al Kedars Herlighed faa Ende.
Yahweh said to me, “Exactly one year from now, all the greatness of the Kedar [area in Arabia] will end.
17 Og Tallet af Buerne, som blive tilbage for de vældige af Kedars Børn, skal formindskes; thi Herren, Israels Gud, har talt det.
Only a few of their soldiers who know well how to shoot arrows will remain alive. [That will surely happen] because [I], Yahweh, have said it.”