Esias 21

1 THE VISION OF THE DESERT. As though a whirlwind should pass through the desert, coming from a desert, [even] from such a 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 [so] a fearful and a grievous vision was declared to me: he that is treacherous deals treacherously, the transgressor transgresses. The Elamites are upon me, and the ambassadors of the Persians come against me: now will I groan and comfort myself.

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 feebleness, and pangs have seized me as a travailing woman: I dealt wrongfully that I might not hear; I hasted that I might not see.

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 wanders, and transgression overwhelms me; my soul is occupied with fear.

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

5 Prepare the table, eat, drink: arise, you princes, and prepare [your] shields.

Prepare the table, put on the candlesticks, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

6 For thus said the Lord to me, Go and station a watchman for yourself, and declare whatever you shall see.

For thus hath said unto me the Lord, Go, set the watchman, what he seeth let him tell.

7 And I saw two mounted horsemen, and a rider on an ass, and a rider on a camel.

And he will see chariots, horsemen in couples, riders on asses, riders on camels; and he shall listen diligently with much heed:

8 Listen with great attention, and call you Urias to the watch-tower: the Lord has spoken. I stood continually during the day, and I stood in the camp all night:

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 and, behold, he comes riding in a chariot and pair: and he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all her images and her idols have been crushed to 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 Hear, you that are left, and you that are in pain, hear what things I have heard of the Lord of hosts [which] the God of Israel has declared to us. THE VISION OF IDUMEA.

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 Call to me out of Seir; guard you the bulwarks.

The doom of Dumah. Unto me one calleth out of Se'ir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?

12 I watch in the morning and the night: if you would enquire, enquire, and dwell by me.

The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will desire, desire ye; return, come again.

13 You may lodge in the forest in the evening, or in the way of Daedan.

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

14 You that dwell in the country of Thaeman, bring water to meet him that is thirsty;

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

15 meet the fugitives with bread, because of the multitude of the slain, and because of the multitude of them that lose their way, and because of the multitude of swords, and because of the multitude of bent bows, and because of the multitude of them that have fallen in war.

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 said the Lord to me, Yet a year, as the year of an hireling, [and] the glory of the sons of Kedar shall fail:

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 remnant of the strong bows of the sons of Kedar shall be small: for the Lord God of Israel has 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.