Isaiah 21

1 A message about the desert by the sea. Like storm winds passing through the Negev, something is coming from the desert, from a land of terror—

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 horrifying vision that has been explained to me. The betrayer still betrays; the destroyer still destroys. Elamites and Medes, go ahead, attack and lay siege to Babylon, for I'm putting a stop to all the pain it has caused.

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 As a result my body is filled with agony. I'm overwhelmed with pain, like the pain of a woman giving birth. I am confused by what I hear; I am distressed by what I see.

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 mind falters; I shake in panic. The night I looked forward to has become terrifying.

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

5 They set the table, they spread out the rugs, they eat and drink… “Get up, officers! Prepare your shields for battle!”

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

6 This is what the Lord told me: “Go! Have a lookout keep watch, and make sure he reports what he sees.

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

7 When he sees chariots coming pulled by pairs of horses, riders on donkeys and on camels, he should watch very carefully, paying close attention.”

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 Then the lookout shouted “Sir, I've stood here on the watchtower day after day; night after night I've remained at my post.

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 Now look! A man in a chariot with a pair of horses is coming.” Then he said, “Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the idols of its gods lie smashed on 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 My poor downtrodden people, so badly mistreated, I have told you what I have heard from the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel.

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 A message about Edom. A voice is calling to me from Seir, asking, “Watchman, what time of night is it? Watchman, what time of night is it?”

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

12 The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but the night is coming again soon. If you want to ask again, then come back and ask.”

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

13 A message about Arabia. Caravans from Dedan, spend the night in the bushes.

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

14 People of Tema, take water to the thirsty, meet the refugees with food.

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

15 They're running away from a fierce battle, from swords, drawn swords, from bows and arrows.

For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

16 This is what the Lord told me: “Within one year, just as a contract worker precisely counts years, all the glory of Kedar will be gone.

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 There will only be a few left of the archers, the warriors of Kedar.” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.

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.'