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 desert of the sea. As whirlwinds come from the south, it cometh from the desert 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 told me: he that is unfaithful dealeth unfaithfully: and he that is a spoiler, spoileth. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Mede: I have made all the mourning thereof 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 pain, anguish hath taken hold of me, as the anguish of a woman in labour: I fell down at the hearing of it, I was troubled at the seeing of it.

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

My heart failed, darkness amazed me: Babylon my beloved is become a wonder to me.

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

Prepare the table, behold in the watchtower them that eat and drink: arise, ye princes, take up the shield.

6 For thus said the Lord to me, Go and station a watchman for yourself, and declare whatever you shall see.

For thus hath the Lord said to me: Go, and set a watchman: and whatsoever he shall see, let him tell.

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

And he saw a chariot with two horsemen, a rider upon an ass, and a rider upon a camel: and he beheld them diligently with much heed.

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

And a lion cried out: I am upon the watchtower of the Lord, standing continually by day: and I am upon my ward, standing 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.

Behold this man cometh, the rider upon the chariot with two horsemen, and he answered, and said: Babylon is fallen, she is fallen, and all the graven gods thereof are broken unto the ground.

10 Hear, you that are left, and you 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 my thrashing and the children of my door, that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared unto you.

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

The burden of Duma calleth to me out of Seir: Watchman, what of the eight? watchman, what of the night?

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

The watchman said: The morning cometh, also the night: if you seek, seek: return, come.

13 You may lodge in the forest in the evening, or in the way of Daedan.

The burden in Arabia. In the forest at evening you shall sleep, in the paths of Dedanim.

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

Meeting the thirsty bring him water, you that inhabit the land of the south, meet with bread him that fleeth.

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 are fled from before the swords, from the sword that hung over them, from the bent bow, from the face of a grievous battle.

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 saith the Lord to me: Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Cedar shall be taken away.

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 strong archers of the children of Cedar shall be diminished: for the Lord the God of Israel hath spoken it.