Isaiah 21

1 The burden of the desert of the sea. Just as the whirlwinds approach from Africa, it approaches from the desert, from a terrible land.

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

2 A difficult vision has been announced to me: he who is unbelieving, he acts unfaithfully, and he who is a plunderer, he devastates. Ascend, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media! I have caused all its mourning to cease.

[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.

3 Because of this, my lower back has been filled with pain, and anguish has possessed me, like the anguish of a woman in labor. I fell down when I heard it. I was disturbed when I saw it.

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.

4 My heart withered. The darkness stupefied me. Babylon, my beloved, has become a wonder to me.

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

5 Prepare the table. Contemplate, from a place of observation, those who eat and drink. Rise up, you leaders! Take up the shield!

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

6 For the Lord has said this to me: “Go and station a watchman. And let him announce whatever he will see.”

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

7 And he saw a chariot with two horsemen, and a rider on a donkey, and a rider on a camel. And he considered them diligently, with an intense gaze.

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

8 And a lion cried out: “I am on the watchtower of the Lord, standing continually by day. And I am at my station, standing throughout the night.

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:

9 Behold, a certain man approaches, a man riding on a two-horse chariot.” And he responded, and he said: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! And all its graven gods have been crushed into the earth!

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.

10 O my threshed grain! O sons of my threshing floor! What I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have announced to you.”

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.

11 The burden of Dumah, cried out to me from Seir: “Watchman, how goes the night? Watchman, how goes the night?”

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

12 The watchman said: “Morning approaches with the night. If you are seeking: seek, and convert, and approach.”

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

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

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

14 You who inhabit the land of the south: upon meeting the thirsty, bring water; meet the fugitive with bread.

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

15 For they are fleeing before the face of swords, before the face of a sword hanging over them, before the face of a bent bow, before the face of a grievous battle.

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.

16 For the Lord said this to me: “After one more year, just like one year for a hired hand, all the glory of Kedar will be taken away.

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:

17 And the remainder of the multitude of strong archers from the sons of Kedar will be few, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken it.”

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