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 prophecy concerning the desert of the sea. As storms which rush along through the south, So it cometh from the desert, From the 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 was revealed to me; The plunderer plundereth, and the destroyer destroyeth. “Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All sighing do I make 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 full of pain; Pangs have seized me, as the pangs of a woman in travail; For convulsions I cannot hear; For anguish I cannot see.

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

My heart panteth, Terror hath seized upon me; The evening of my desire is changed into horror.

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

The table is prepared; the watch is set; They eat; they drink; “Arise, ye princes! Anoint 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 said the Lord unto me: “Go, set a watchman, Who shall declare what he seeth.”

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

And he saw a troop, horsemen in pairs, Riders on asses, and riders on camels, And he watched with the utmost 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:

Then he cried like a lion: “My Lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the daytime, And keep my post all the night;

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, there cometh a troop, Horsemen in pairs.” Again also he lifted up his voice, and said: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon, And all the graven images of her gods are cast broken to 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 threshing, and the corn of my floor! What I have heard from Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, That have I declared to you.

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

The prophecy concerning Dumah. A voice came to me from Seir: “Watchman, what of the night? 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 saith: “Morning cometh, and also night. If ye will inquire, inquire! Return, come!”

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

The prophecy against the Arabians. In the thickets of Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedan!

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

The inhabitants of the land of Tema Bring water to the thirsty; They come to meet the fugitive with 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 flee from swords, From the drawn sword, And from the bent bow, And from the fury 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 saith the Lord to me: Within one year, according to the years of a hireling, Shall all the glory of Kedar be consumed.

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].

The remainder of the mighty bowmen of the sons of Kedar shall be diminished; For Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath said it.