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.
A declaration about the desert by the sea. Like stormwinds sweeping through the Negev it comes passing through 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 distressing vision has been given to me: the treacherous man deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up and attack, Elam; besiege, Media; I will stop all her groaning.
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 my loins are filled with pain; pains like the pains of a woman in labor have taken hold of me; I am bowed down by what I heard; I am disturbed by what I saw.
4 My heart wandereth astray, dread affrighteth me: the evening of my pleasure hath he turned unto me into terror.
My heart pounds; I shake with fear. Twilight was my desire, but it brought me terror.
5 Prepare the table, put on the candlesticks, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.
They prepare the table, they spread rugs and eat and drink; arise, princes, anoint your shields with oil.
6 For thus hath said unto me the Lord, Go, set the watchman, what he seeth let him tell.
For this is what the Lord said to me, “Go, post a watchman; he must report what he sees.
7 And he will see chariots, horsemen in couples, riders on asses, riders on camels; and he shall listen diligently with much heed:
When he sees a chariot, a pair of horsemen, riders on donkeys, and riders on camels, then he must pay attention and be very alert.”
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.
The watchman cries out, “Lord, on the watchtower I stand all day, every day, and at my post I stand all night long.”
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.
Here comes a chariot with a man and a pair of horsemen. He calls out, “Babylon has fallen, fallen, and all the carved figures of its gods are broken to 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.
My threshed and winnowed ones, children of my threshing floor! What I have heard from Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you.
11 The doom of Dumah. Unto me one calleth out of Se'ir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
A declaration about Dumah. One calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left 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 comes and also the night. If you want to ask, then ask; and come back again.”
13 The doom upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanim.
A declaration about Arabia. In the wilderness of Arabia you spend the night, you 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.
Bring water for the thirsty; inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet the fugitives with 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 have fled from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the weight 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 this is what the Lord said to me, “Within a year, as a laborer hired for a year would see it, all the glory of Kedar will end.
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.
Only a few of the archers, the warriors of Kedar will remain,” for Yahweh, the God of Israel, has spoken.
