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 doom of the desert by the sea. As tempests in the south blow with fury; so doth it come from the desert, from a terrible 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 hard vision hath been told unto me; the traitor dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. “Go up, O 'Elam; besiege, O Media;” all sighing have I caused 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 pain; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I am too much cramped to hear; I am too much dismayed to see.

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

My heart wandereth astray, dread affrighteth me: the evening of my pleasure hath he turned unto me into terror.

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

Prepare the table, put on the candlesticks, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and 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 said unto me the Lord, Go, set the watchman, what he seeth let him tell.

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 he will see chariots, horsemen in couples, riders on asses, riders on camels; and he shall listen 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 calleth [like] a lion, Upon the watchtower, O Lord, do I stand continually in the daytime, and on my ward am I set 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, here cometh a chariot with men, horsemen in couples, and he commenceth and saith, Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods hath he shivered 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 my down-trodden [people, ] and the son of my threshingfloor: that which I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have I told unto you.

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

The doom of Dumah. Unto me one calleth out of Se'ir, 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 desire, desire ye; return, come again.

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

The doom upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanim.

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

Toward him that is thirsty they bring water; the inhabitants of the land of Thema meet with suitable bread the fugitive.

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.

Because from the swords are they fled, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the pressure 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 said the Lord unto me, Within yet one year, like the years of a hired laborer, shall all the glory of Kedar be at an end:

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 bows of the mighty men of the children of Kedar shall be small; for the Lord the God of Israel hath spoken it.