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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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!”

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

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 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?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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