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. 'Like hurricanes in the south for passing through, From the wilderness it hath come, From a fearful 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 hard vision hath been declared to me, The treacherous dealer is dealing treacherously, And the destroyer is destroying. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Media, All its sighing I have caused 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 filled have been my loins [with] great pain, Pangs have seized me as pangs of a travailing woman, I have been bent down by hearing, I have been troubled by seeing.

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

Wandered hath my heart, trembling hath terrified me, The twilight of my desire He hath made a fear to me,

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

Arrange the table, watch in the watch-tower, Eat, drink, rise, ye heads, anoint the shield,

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

For thus said the Lord unto me: 'Go, station the watchman, That which he seeth let him declare.'

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

And he hath seen a chariot — a couple of horsemen, The rider of an ass, the rider of a camel, And he hath given attention — He hath increased attention!

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 crieth — a lion, 'On a watch-tower my lord, I am standing continually by day, And on my ward I am stationed 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 lo, this, the chariot of a man is coming, A couple of horsemen.' And he answereth and saith: 'Fallen, fallen hath Babylon, And all the graven images of her gods He hath broken to the earth.

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 my threshing, and the son of my floor, That which I heard from Jehovah of Hosts, 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?

The burden of Dumah. Unto me is [one] calling from 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 hath said, 'Come hath morning, and also night, If ye inquire, inquire ye, turn back, come.'

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

The burden on Arabia. In a forest in Arabia ye lodge, O travellers of Dedanim.

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

To meet the thirsty brought water have Inhabitants of the land of Tema, With his bread they came before a fugitive.

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

For from the face of destructions they fled, From the face of a stretched-out sword, And from the face of a trodden bow, And from the face of the grievousness of battle.

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 said the Lord unto me: 'Within a year, as years of a hireling, Consumed hath been all the honour of Kedar.

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 remnant of the number of bow-men, The mighty of the sons of Kedar are few, For Jehovah, God of Israel, hath spoken!'