< 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.
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.
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.
4 My heart wandereth astray, dread affrighteth me: the evening of my pleasure hath he turned unto me into terror.
5 Prepare the table, put on the candlesticks, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.
6 For thus hath said unto me the Lord, Go, set the watchman, what he seeth let him tell.
7 And he will see chariots, horsemen in couples, riders on asses, riders on camels; and he shall listen 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.
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.
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.
11 The doom of Dumah. Unto me one calleth out of Se'ir, 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.
13 The doom upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanim.
14 Toward him that is thirsty they bring water; the inhabitants of the land of Thema meet with suitable bread the fugitive.
15 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 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 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.
