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 birthun of the forsakun see. As whirlewyndis comen fro the southwest, it cometh fro desert, fro the orible lond.
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.
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 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.
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 mind falters; I shake in panic. The night I looked forward to has become terrifying.
Myn herte fadide, derknessis astonieden me; Babiloyne, my derlyng, is set to me in to myracle.
5 They set the table, they spread out the rugs, they eat and drink… “Get up, officers! Prepare your shields for battle!”
Sette thou a boord, biholde thou in to a toting place; rise, ye princes, etynge and drynkynge, take ye scheeld.
6 This is what the Lord told me: “Go! Have a lookout keep watch, and make sure he reports what he sees.
For whi the Lord seide these thingis to me, Go thou, and sette a lokere; and telle he, what euer thing 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 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 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 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 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!”
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 My poor downtrodden people, so badly mistreated, I have told you what I have heard from the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel.
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 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 birthun of Duma. It crieth fro Seir to me, Kepere, what our of the niyt? `kepere, what our of the niyt?
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 kepere seide, Morewtid cometh, and niyt; if ye seken, seke ye, and be ye conuertid, and `come ye.
13 A message about Arabia. Caravans from Dedan, spend the night in the bushes.
The birthun in Arabie. In the forest at euentid ye schulen slepe, in the pathis of Dodanym.
14 People of Tema, take water to the thirsty, meet the refugees with food.
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 They're running away from a fierce battle, from swords, drawn swords, from bows and arrows.
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 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 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 There will only be a few left of the archers, the warriors of Kedar.” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.
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.
