Isaiah 21

1 The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it comes from the wilderness, from a terrible land.

THE VISION OF THE DESERT. As though a whirlwind should pass through the desert, coming from a desert, [even] from such a land,

2 A grievous vision is declared to me. The treacherous man deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, O Elam. Besiege, O Media, all the sighing of it I have made to cease.

[so] a fearful and a grievous vision was declared to me: he that is treacherous deals treacherously, the transgressor transgresses. The Elamites are upon me, and the ambassadors of the Persians come against me: now will I groan and comfort myself.

3 Therefore my loins are filled with anguish. Pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail. I am pained so that I cannot hear. I am dismayed so that I cannot see.

Therefore are my loins filled with feebleness, and pangs have seized me as a travailing woman: I dealt wrongfully that I might not hear; I hasted that I might not see.

4 My heart flutters. Horror has frightened me. The twilight that I desired has been turned into trembling to me.

My heart wanders, and transgression overwhelms me; my soul is occupied with fear.

5 They prepare the table, they set the watch, they eat, they drink. Rise up, ye rulers, anoint the shield.

Prepare the table, eat, drink: arise, you princes, and prepare [your] shields.

6 For thus has the Lord said to me, Go, set a watchman. Let him declare what he sees.

For thus said the Lord to me, Go and station a watchman for yourself, and declare whatever you shall see.

7 and when he sees a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.

And I saw two mounted horsemen, and a rider on an ass, and a rider on a camel.

8 And he cried out as a lion, O Lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and am set in my ward whole nights,

Listen with great attention, and call you Urias to the watch-tower: the Lord has spoken. I stood continually during the day, and I stood in the camp all night:

9 and, behold, here comes a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon. And all the graven images of her gods are broken to the ground.

and, behold, he comes riding in a chariot and pair: and he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all her images and her idols have been crushed to the ground.

10 O my threshing, and the grain of my floor! That which I have heard from Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you.

Hear, you that are left, and you that are in pain, hear what things I have heard of the Lord of hosts [which] the God of Israel has declared to us. THE VISION OF IDUMEA.

11 The burden of Dumah. He calls to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?

Call to me out of Seir; guard you the bulwarks.

12 The watchman said, The morning comes, and also the night. If ye will inquire, inquire ye; turn ye back, come.

I watch in the morning and the night: if you would enquire, enquire, and dwell by me.

13 The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia ye shall lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanites.

You may lodge in the forest in the evening, or in the way of Daedan.

14 To him who was thirsty they brought water. The inhabitants of the land of Tema met the fugitives with their bread.

You that dwell in the country of Thaeman, bring water to meet him that is thirsty;

15 For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

meet the fugitives with bread, because of the multitude of the slain, and because of the multitude of them that lose their way, and because of the multitude of swords, and because of the multitude of bent bows, and because of the multitude of them that have fallen in war.

16 For thus the Lord has said to me, Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall fail.

For thus said the Lord to me, Yet a year, as the year of an hireling, [and] the glory of the sons of Kedar shall fail:

17 And the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, shall be few. For Jehovah, the God of Israel, has spoken it.

and the remnant of the strong bows of the sons of Kedar shall be small: for the Lord God of Israel has spoken [it].