Isaiah 21

1 The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds come from the south, it cometh from the desert from a terrible land.

The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweeping on, it cometh from the wilderness, from a dreadful land.

2 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.

A grievous vision is declared unto me: 'The treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam! besiege, O Media! All the sighing thereof have I made to cease.'

3 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.

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

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

My heart is bewildered, terror hath overwhelmed me; the twilight that I longed for hath been turned for me into trembling.

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

They prepare the table, they light the lamps, they eat, they drink — 'Rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield.'

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

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

7 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.

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

8 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.

And he cried as a lion: 'Upon the watch-tower, O Lord, I stand continually in the daytime, and I am set in my ward all the nights.'

9 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.

And, behold, there came a troop of men, horsemen by pairs. And he spoke and said: 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.'

10 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.

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

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

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

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

The watchman said: 'The morning cometh, and also the night — if ye will inquire, inquire ye; return, come.'

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

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

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

Unto him that is thirsty bring ye water! The inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitive with his bread.

15 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.

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

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

17 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.

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