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.

The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweeping on, it cometh from the wilderness, from a dreadful land.

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.

A grievous vision is declared unto me: 'The treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam! besiege, O Media! All the sighing thereof have I made to cease.'

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.

Therefore are my loins filled with convulsion; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail; I am bent so that I cannot hear; I am affrighted so that I cannot see.

4 My mind is wandering, fear has overcome me: the evening of my desire has been turned into shaking for me.

My heart is bewildered, terror hath overwhelmed me; the twilight that I longed for hath been turned for me into trembling.

5 They make ready the table, they put down the covers, they take food and drink. Up! you captains; put oil on your breastplates.

They prepare the table, they light the lamps, they eat, they drink — 'Rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield.'

6 For so has the Lord said to me, Go, let a watchman be placed; let him give word of what he sees:

For thus hath the Lord said unto me: Go, set a watchman; let him declare what he seeth!

7 And when he sees war-carriages, horsemen by twos, war-carriages with asses, war-carriages with camels, let him give special attention.

And when he seeth a troop, horsemen by pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.

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:

And he cried as a lion: 'Upon the watch-tower, O Lord, I stand continually in the daytime, and I am set in my ward all the nights.'

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.

And, behold, there came a troop of men, horsemen by pairs. And he spoke and said: 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.'

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.

O thou my threshing, and the winnowing of my floor, that which I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

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?

The burden of Dumah. One calleth unto me out of Seir: 'Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?'

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.

The watchman said: 'The morning cometh, and also the night — if ye will inquire, inquire ye; return, come.'

13 The word about Arabia. In the thick woods of Arabia will be your night's resting-place, O travelling bands of Dedanites!

The burden upon Arabia. In the thickets in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanites.

14 Give water to him who is in need of water; give bread, O men of the land of Tema, to those in flight.

Unto him that is thirsty bring ye water! The inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitive with his bread.

15 For they are in flight from the sharp sword, and the bent bow, and from the trouble of war.

For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

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:

For thus hath the Lord said unto me: 'Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail;

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.

and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished; for the LORD, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.'