Isaiah 21

1 The burden of the wilderness of the sea. Like windstorms in the south for passing through, It has come from the wilderness, From a fearful land.

This is the burden against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negev, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.

2 A hard vision has been declared to me, The treacherous dealer is dealing treacherously, And the destroyer is destroying. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Media, I have caused all its sighing to cease.

A dire vision is declared to me: “The traitor still betrays, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media! I will put an end to all her groaning.”

3 Therefore my loins have been filled [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.

Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to see.

4 My heart has wandered, trembling has terrified me, He has made the twilight of my desire a fear to me,

My heart falters; fear makes me tremble. The twilight of my desire has turned to horror.

5 Arrange the table, watch in the watchtower, Eat, drink, rise, you heads, anoint the shield,

They prepare a table, they lay out a carpet, they eat, they drink! Rise up, O princes, oil the shields!

6 For thus said the Lord to me: “Go, station the watchman, Let him declare that which he sees.”

For this is what the Lord says to me: “Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees.

7 And he has seen a chariot—a couple of horsemen, The rider of a donkey, the rider of a camel, And he has given attention—He has increased attention!

When he sees chariots with teams of horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, he must be alert, fully alert.”

8 And he cries, “A lion, my lord! I am continually standing on a watchtower by day, And I am stationed on my ward whole nights.

Then the lookout shouted: “Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; night after night I stay at my post.

9 And behold, this, the chariot of a man is coming, A couple of horsemen.” And he answers and says: “Fallen, fallen has Babylon, And He has broken all the carved images of her gods to the earth.

Look, here come the riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one answered, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”

10 O my threshing, and the son of my floor, That which I heard from YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel, I have declared to you!”

O my people, crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel.

11 The burden of Dumah. [One] is calling to me from Seir, “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?”

This is the burden against Dumah: One calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?”

12 The watchman has said, “Morning has come, and also night, If you inquire, inquire, return, come.”

The watchman replies, “Morning has come, but also the night. If you would inquire, then inquire. Come back yet again.”

13 The burden on Arabia. You lodge in a forest in Arabia, O caravans of Dedanim.

This is the burden against Arabia: In the thickets of Arabia you must lodge, O caravans of Dedanites.

14 Inhabitants of the land of Tema Have brought water to meet the thirsty, With his bread they came before a fugitive.

Bring water for the thirsty, O dwellers of Tema; meet the refugees with food.

15 For they fled from the face of destructions, From the face of an outstretched sword, And from the face of a trodden bow, And from the face of the grievousness of battle.

For they flee from the sword— the sword that is drawn— from the bow that is bent, and from the stress of battle.

16 For thus said the Lord to me: “Within a year, as years of a hired worker, All the glory of Kedar has been consumed.

For this is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a hired worker would count it, all the glory of Kedar will be gone.

17 And the remnant of the number of bow-men, The mighty of the sons of Kedar, are few, For YHWH, God of Israel, has spoken!”

The remaining archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” For the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.