Isaiah 21

1 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.

The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it cometh from the wilderness, from a terrible land.

2 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.

A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous man dealeth treacherously, and the destroyer destroyeth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

3 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.

Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see.

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

My heart fluttereth, horror hath affrighted me; the twilight that I desired hath been turned into trembling unto me.

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

They prepare the table, they set the watch, they eat, they drink: rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield.

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

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

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

and when he seeth a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.

8 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.

And he cried as a lion: O Lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights;

9 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.

and, behold, here cometh a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.

10 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.

O thou my threshing, and the grain of my floor! that which I have heard from Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

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

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

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

The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: turn ye, come.

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

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

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

Unto him that was thirsty they brought water; the inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitives with their bread.

15 Because from the swords are they fled, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the pressure of war.

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

16 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:

For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall fail;

17 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.

and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be few; for Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.