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 birthun of the forsakun see. As whirlewyndis comen fro the southwest, it cometh fro desert, fro the orible lond.

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.

An hard reuelacioun is teld to me; he that is vnfeithful, doith vnfeithfuli; and he that is a distriere, distrieth. Thou Helam, stie, and thou, Meda, biseche; Y made al the weilyng therof for to ceesse.

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.

Therfor my leendis ben fillid with sorewe; angwische weldide me, as the angwisch of a womman trauelynge of child; Y felle doun, whanne Y herde; Y was disturblid, whanne Y siy.

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

Myn herte fadide, derknessis astonieden me; Babiloyne, my derlyng, is set to me in to myracle.

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

Sette thou a boord, biholde thou in to a toting place; rise, ye princes, etynge and drynkynge, take ye scheeld.

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

For whi the Lord seide these thingis to me, Go thou, and sette a lokere; and telle he, what euer thing 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 he siy the chare of tweyne horse men, the stiere of an asse, and the stiere of a camel; and he bihelde diligentli with myche lokyng,

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 criede as a lioun, Y stonde contynueli bi dai on the totyng place of the Lord, and Y stonde bi alle nyytis on my kepyng.

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.

Lo! this cometh, a man stiere of a carte of horse men. And Isaie criede, and seide, Babiloyne felle doun, felle doun; and alle the grauun ymagis of goddis therof ben al to-brokun in to erthe.

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.

Mi threschyng, and the douyter of my cornfloor, Y haue teld to you what thingis Y herde of the Lord of oostis, of God of Israel.

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

The birthun of Duma. It crieth fro Seir to me, Kepere, what our of the niyt? `kepere, what our of the niyt?

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

The kepere seide, Morewtid cometh, and niyt; if ye seken, seke ye, and be ye conuertid, and `come ye.

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

The birthun in Arabie. In the forest at euentid ye schulen slepe, in the pathis of Dodanym.

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

Ye that dwellen in the lond of the south, renne, and bere watir to the thristi; and renne ye with looues to hym that fleeth.

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 thei fledden fro the face of swerdis, fro the face of swerd neiyynge, fro the face of bouwe bent, fro the face of greuouse batel.

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 the Lord seith these thingis to me, Yit in o yeer, as in the yeer of an hirid man, and al the glorie of Cedar schal be takun awei.

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 remenauntis of the noumbre of stronge archeris of the sones of Cedar schulen be maad lesse; for whi the Lord God of Israel spak.