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 doom of the desert by the sea. As tempests in the south blow with fury; so doth it come 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 hard vision hath been told unto me; the traitor dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. “Go up, O 'Elam; besiege, O Media;” all sighing have I caused 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; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I am too much cramped to hear; I am too much dismayed to see.

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

My heart wandereth astray, dread affrighteth me: the evening of my pleasure hath he turned unto me into terror.

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

Prepare the table, put on the candlesticks, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint 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 said unto me the Lord, Go, set the watchman, what he seeth 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 will see chariots, horsemen in couples, riders on asses, riders on camels; and he shall listen 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 he calleth [like] a lion, Upon the watchtower, O Lord, do I stand continually in the daytime, and on my ward am I set all the 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!”

And, behold, here cometh a chariot with men, horsemen in couples, and he commenceth and saith, Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods hath he shivered 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 down-trodden [people, ] and the son of my threshingfloor: that which I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have I told 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 doom of Dumah. Unto me one calleth out of Se'ir, Watchman, what of the night? 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, and also the night: if ye will desire, desire ye; return, come again.

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

The doom upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanim.

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

Toward him that is thirsty they bring water; the inhabitants of the land of Thema meet with suitable bread the fugitive.

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

Because from the swords are they fled, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the pressure of 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 hath said the Lord unto me, Within yet one year, like the years of a hired laborer, shall all the glory of Kedar be at an end:

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 bows of the mighty men of the children of Kedar shall be small; for the Lord the God of Israel hath spoken it.