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 prophecy concerning the desert of the sea. As storms which rush along through the south, So it cometh from the desert, From the 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 was revealed to me; The plunderer plundereth, and the destroyer destroyeth. “Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All sighing do I make 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 full of pain; Pangs have seized me, as the pangs of a woman in travail; For convulsions I cannot hear; For anguish I cannot see.

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

My heart panteth, Terror hath seized upon me; The evening of my desire is changed into horror.

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

The table is prepared; the watch is set; They eat; they drink; “Arise, ye princes! Anoint the shield!”

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

For thus said the Lord unto me: “Go, set a watchman, Who shall declare what he seeth.”

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 troop, horsemen in pairs, Riders on asses, and riders on camels, And he watched with the utmost 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.

Then he cried like a lion: “My Lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the daytime, And keep my post all the night;

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, there cometh a troop, Horsemen in pairs.” Again also he lifted up his voice, and said: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon, And all the graven images of her gods are cast 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! What I have heard from Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, That 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 prophecy concerning Dumah. A voice came to me from 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 saith: “Morning cometh, and also night. If ye will inquire, inquire! Return, come!”

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

The prophecy against the Arabians. In the thickets of Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedan!

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 Bring water to the thirsty; They come to meet the fugitive with bread.

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 swords, From the drawn sword, And from the bent bow, And from the fury 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 saith the Lord to me: Within one year, according to the years of a hireling, Shall all the glory of Kedar be consumed.

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 remainder of the mighty bowmen of the sons of Kedar shall be diminished; For Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath said it.