Isaiah 21

1 This is the burden against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negev, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.

The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds come from the south, it cometh from the desert from a terrible land.

2 A dire vision is declared to me: “The traitor still betrays, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media! I will put an end to all her groaning.”

A grievous vision is told me: he that is unfaithful dealeth unfaithfully: and he that is a spoiler, spoileth. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Mede: I have made all the mourning thereof to cease.

3 Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to see.

Therefore are my loins filled with pain, anguish hath taken hold of me, as the anguish of a woman in labour: I fell down at the hearing of it, I was troubled at the seeing of it.

4 My heart falters; fear makes me tremble. The twilight of my desire has turned to horror.

My heart failed, darkness amazed me: Babylon my beloved is become a wonder to me.

5 They prepare a table, they lay out a carpet, they eat, they drink! Rise up, O princes, oil the shields!

Prepare the table, behold in the watchtower them that eat and drink: arise, ye princes, take up the shield.

6 For this is what the Lord says to me: “Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees.

For thus hath the Lord said to me: Go, and set a watchman: and whatsoever he shall see, let him tell.

7 When he sees chariots with teams of horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, he must be alert, fully alert.”

And he saw a chariot with two horsemen, a rider upon an ass, and a rider upon a camel: and he beheld them diligently with much heed.

8 Then the lookout shouted: “Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; night after night I stay at my post.

And a lion cried out: I am upon the watchtower of the Lord, standing continually by day: and I am upon my ward, standing whole nights.

9 Look, here come the riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one answered, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”

Behold this man cometh, the rider upon the chariot with two horsemen, and he answered, and said: Babylon is fallen, she is fallen, and all the graven gods thereof are broken unto the ground.

10 O my people, crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel.

O my thrashing and the children of my door, that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared unto you.

11 This is the burden against Dumah: One calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?”

The burden of Duma calleth to me out of Seir: Watchman, what of the eight? watchman, what of the night?

12 The watchman replies, “Morning has come, but also the night. If you would inquire, then inquire. Come back yet again.”

The watchman said: The morning cometh, also the night: if you seek, seek: return, come.

13 This is the burden against Arabia: In the thickets of Arabia you must lodge, O caravans of Dedanites.

The burden in Arabia. In the forest at evening you shall sleep, in the paths of Dedanim.

14 Bring water for the thirsty, O dwellers of Tema; meet the refugees with food.

Meeting the thirsty bring him water, you that inhabit the land of the south, meet with bread him that fleeth.

15 For they flee from the sword— the sword that is drawn— from the bow that is bent, and from the stress of battle.

For they are fled from before the swords, from the sword that hung over them, from the bent bow, from the face of a grievous battle.

16 For this is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a hired worker would count it, all the glory of Kedar will be gone.

For thus saith the Lord to me: Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Cedar shall be taken away.

17 The remaining archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” For the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.

And the residue of the number of strong archers of the children of Cedar shall be diminished: for the Lord the God of Israel hath spoken it.