Isaiah 21

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

The oracle on the desert of the sea: As storm-winds in the South which with a rush from the desert, do come from a terrible land,

2 A grievous vision is declared to me. The treacherous man deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam; attack! I have stopped all of Media’s sighing.

[So] hath, a grievous vision, been told me: —the deceiver, is deceiving. And the spoiler, is spoiling, Go up, O Elam Besiege O Media, All the sighing she hath caused, have I made to cease.

3 Therefore my thighs are filled with anguish. Pains have seized me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am in so much pain that I cannot hear. I am so dismayed that I cannot see.

For this cause, are my loins filled with anguish, Pangs, have seized me, as the pangs of her that is giving birth, —I writhe so that I cannot hear, I tremble, so that I cannot see:

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

My heart fluttereth, A horror, terrifieth me, —My twilight of pleasure, hath he turned for me into a time of trembling.

5 They prepare the table. They set the watch. They eat. They drink. Rise up, you princes, oil the shield!

[Ye thought] to prepare the table—spread the mat—eat—drink! …Arise ye chieftains anoint the shield!

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

For, thus, hath My Lord said unto me, —Go, set the watchman, What he seeth, let him tell!

7 When he sees a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, a troop of camels, he shall listen diligently with great attentiveness.”

When he seeth A train of horsemen in double rank, A train of asses, A train of camels, Then shall he hearken attentively with diligent heed.

8 He cried like a lion: “Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and every night I stay at my post.

Then cried he. A lion! On the watch, O My Lord, had I been standing continually, by day, And at my post, had I been stationed whole nights; —

9 Behold, here comes a troop of men, horsemen in pairs.” He answered, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the engraved images of her gods are broken to the ground.

When lo! here was a train of men coming. With horsemen in double rank, —And one began and said, Fallen! fallen! is Babylon, And all the images of her gods, are smashed to the ground!

10 You are my threshing, and the grain of my floor!” That which I have heard from the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, I have declared to you.

O thou My threshing! And the grain of my corn-floor! That which I have heard from Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, Have I declared, unto you.

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

The oracle on Dumah: Unto me, is one crying—out of Seir, Watchman! how far gone is the night? Watchman, how far gone is the night?

12 The watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire. Come back again.”

Said the watchman, There cometh a morning. But also a night, —If ye will enquire, enquire, ye—Come, again!

13 The burden on Arabia. You will lodge in the thickets in Arabia, you caravans of Dedanites.

The oracle on Arabia, —Among the shrubs in Arabia, must ye lodge, Ye caravans of Dedanites.

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

To meet the thirsty, bring ye water, —Ye dwellers in the land of Tema; With bread for him, get in advance of him that is in flight!

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

For, before swords, have they fled: Before a sword that is drawn, Before a bow that is bent, And before the stress of war.

16 For the Lord said to me, “Within a year, as a worker bound by contract would count it, all the glory of Kedar will fail,

For, thus, hath My Lord said unto me, —Within a year according to the yearn of a hireling, shall fail all the glory of Kedar;

17 and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, will be few; for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken it.”

And, the remnant of the record of bowmen, The heroes of the sons of Kedar, shall become few; For Yahweh God of Israel, hath spoken.