Esias 21

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

The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it cometh from the wilderness, from a terrible land.

2 [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.

A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous man dealeth treacherously, and the destroyer destroyeth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

3 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.

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

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

My heart fluttereth, horror hath affrighted me; the twilight that I desired hath been turned into trembling unto me.

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

They prepare the table, they set the watch, they eat, they drink: rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield.

6 For thus said the Lord to me, Go and station a watchman for thyself, and declare whatever thou shalt see.

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

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

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

8 Hearken with great attention, and call thou Urias to the watch-tower: the Lord has spoken. I stood continually during the day, and I stood in the camp all night:

And he cried as a lion: O Lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights;

9 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.

and, behold, here cometh a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.

10 Hear, ye that are left, and ye 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.

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

11 Call to me out of Seir; guard ye the bulwarks.

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

12 I watch in the morning and the night: if thou wouldest enquire, enquire, and dwell by me.

The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: turn ye, come.

13 Thou mayest lodge in the forest in the evening, or in the way of Daedan.

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

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

Unto him that was thirsty they brought water; the inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitives with their bread.

15 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.

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

16 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:

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

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

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