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.

The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.

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 grievous vision is declared to me; the treacherous dealer deals treacherously, and the spoiler spoils. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

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 are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold on me, as the pangs of a woman that travails: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

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

My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure has he turned into fear to me.

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

Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, you princes, and anoint the shield.

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

For thus has the LORD said to me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare 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!

And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he listened diligently with much heed:

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.

And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:

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.

And, behold, here comes a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he has broken to 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 threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared to you.

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

The burden of Dumah. He calls to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?

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

The watchman said, The morning comes, and also the night: if you will inquire, inquire you: return, come.

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

The burden on Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall you lodge, O you traveling companies of Dedanim.

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

The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.

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

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 thus has the LORD said to me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:

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!”

And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel has spoken it.