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. 'Like hurricanes in the south for passing through, From the wilderness it hath come, From a fearful 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 hard vision hath been declared to me, The treacherous dealer is dealing treacherously, And the destroyer is destroying. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Media, All its sighing I have caused 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 filled have been my loins [with] great pain, Pangs have seized me as pangs of a travailing woman, I have been bent down by hearing, I have been troubled by seeing.

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

Wandered hath my heart, trembling hath terrified me, The twilight of my desire He hath made a fear to me,

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

Arrange the table, watch in the watch-tower, Eat, drink, rise, ye heads, 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 said the Lord unto me: 'Go, station the watchman, That which he seeth let him declare.'

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

And he hath seen a chariot — a couple of horsemen, The rider of an ass, the rider of a camel, And he hath given attention — He hath increased attention!

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 crieth — a lion, 'On a watch-tower my lord, I am standing continually by day, And on my ward I am stationed whole 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 lo, this, the chariot of a man is coming, A couple of horsemen.' And he answereth and saith: 'Fallen, fallen hath Babylon, And all the graven images of her gods He hath broken to the earth.

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 my threshing, and the son of my floor, That which I heard from Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, I have declared to 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. Unto me is [one] calling from 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 hath said, 'Come hath morning, and also night, If ye inquire, inquire ye, turn back, 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 on Arabia. In a forest in Arabia ye lodge, O travellers of Dedanim.

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

To meet the thirsty brought water have Inhabitants of the land of Tema, With his bread they came before a fugitive.

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

For from the face of destructions they fled, From the face of a stretched-out sword, And from the face of a trodden bow, And from the face of the grievousness of battle.

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 said the Lord unto me: 'Within a year, as years of a hireling, Consumed hath been all the honour of Kedar.

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 remnant of the number of bow-men, The mighty of the sons of Kedar are few, For Jehovah, God of Israel, hath spoken!'