Isaiah 21
1 The word about the waste land. As storm-winds in the South go rushing through, it comes from the waste land, from the land greatly to be feared.
有關瀚海的神諭：猶如風暴由南方掃來；同樣，仇敵將由沙漠，由可怕之地而來。
2 A vision of fear comes before my eyes; the worker of deceit goes on in his false way, and the waster goes on making waste. Up! Elam; to the attack! Media; I have put an end to her sorrow.
一悽慘的神視顯示給我：搶奪的盡量搶奪，破壞的盡量破壞。厄藍，上前！瑪待，圍攻！我要結束所有的嘆息！
3 For this cause I am full of bitter grief; pains like the pains of a woman in childbirth have come on me: I am bent down with sorrow at what comes to my ears; I am shocked by what I see.
為此我的兩腰滿是酸痛，侵襲我的劇痛無異產婦的痛苦；我惶亂得不能再聽，我昏迷得不能再看。
4 My mind is wandering, fear has overcome me: the evening of my desire has been turned into shaking for me.
我的心神錯亂了，恐怖驟然襲擊了我；我所渴望的黃昏，為我反成了恐怖。
5 They make ready the table, they put down the covers, they take food and drink. Up! you captains; put oil on your breastplates.
盛宴已擺，華毯已舖，人們正在吃喝之際：「將帥們！起來！用油擦盾！」
6 For so has the Lord said to me, Go, let a watchman be placed; let him give word of what he sees:
因為吾主對我這樣說：「去！派置一個警衛，叫他報告他所見的！
7 And when he sees war-carriages, horsemen by twos, war-carriages with asses, war-carriages with camels, let him give special attention.
當他見到騎兵隊、一對一對的馬兵、驢隊和駱駝隊時，他要注意，要多多注意！」
8 And the watchman gave a loud cry, O my lord, I am on the watchtower all day, and am placed in my watch every night:
守望者喊叫：「吾主！我整日站在瞭望台上，長夜鵠立在我的守望所。
9 See, here come war-carriages with men, horsemen by twos: and in answer he said, Babylon is made low, is made low, and all her images are broken on the earth.
看哪！來了一隊人馬，一對一對的騎兵！」有一個喊叫說：「陷落了！巴比倫陷落了！她所有的神像也都摔碎在地！」
10 O my crushed ones, the grain of my floor! I have given you the word which came to me from the Lord of armies, the God of Israel.
我那被碾軋的百姓，我那禾場上的子民！凡是我由萬軍的上主，以色列的天主所聽到的，我都告訴了你們。
11 The word about Edom. A voice comes to me from Seir, Watchman, how far gone is the night? how far gone is the night?
有關厄東的神諭：從色依爾有人向我喊叫說：「警衛！夜已何時了﹖夜已何時了﹖」
12 The watchman says, The morning has come, but night is still to come: if you have questions to put, put them, and come back again.
警衛答說：「黎明已至，然而仍是黑夜；如果你們仍要詢問，詢問罷！再來一次！」
13 The word about Arabia. In the thick woods of Arabia will be your night's resting-place, O travelling bands of Dedanites!
有關荒野的神諭：你們在森林中，在荒野裏過宿罷！德丹的商旅，
14 Give water to him who is in need of water; give bread, O men of the land of Tema, to those in flight.
請攜水出來迎接口渴的人！特瑪地的居民，請備糧接待逃難的人！
15 For they are in flight from the sharp sword, and the bent bow, and from the trouble of war.
因為他們出逃，是由於面臨刀劍，面臨出鞘的刀劍，面臨已張的弓弩，面臨激烈的戰爭。
16 For so has the Lord said to me, In a year, by the years of a servant working for payment, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end:
上主曾這樣對我說：「照僱工的年限計，還有三年，刻達爾所有的榮耀都要完結；
17 And the rest of the bowmen, the men of war of the children of Kedar, will be small in number: for the Lord, the God of Israel, has said it.
刻達爾子民的英勇弓手人數，剩下的很少。」因為上主以色列的天主，早就這樣說了。
