Isaiah 21

1 The oracle of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negev sweep through, it comes from the wilderness, from an awesome land.

The word about the waste land. As storm-winds in the South go rushing through, it comes from the waste land, from the land greatly to be feared.

2 A grievous vision is declared to me. The treacherous man deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam; attack. I have stopped all of Media's sighing.

A vision of fear comes before my eyes; the worker of deceit goes on in his false way, and the waster goes on making waste. Up! Elam; to the attack! Media; I have put an end to her sorrow.

3 Therefore my thighs are filled with anguish. Pains have taken hold on me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am in so much pain that I can't hear. I so am dismayed that I can't see.

For this cause I am full of bitter grief; pains like the pains of a woman in childbirth have come on me: I am bent down with sorrow at what comes to my ears; I am shocked by what I see.

4 My heart flutters. Horror has frightened me. The twilight that I desired has been turned into trembling for me.

My mind is wandering, fear has overcome me: the evening of my desire has been turned into shaking for me.

5 They prepare the table. They set the watch. They eat. They drink. Rise up, you princes, oil the shield.

They make ready the table, they put down the covers, they take food and drink. Up! you captains; put oil on your breastplates.

6 For YHWH said to me, "Go, set a watchman. Let him declare what he sees.

For so has the Lord said to me, Go, let a watchman be placed; let him give word of what he sees:

7 When he sees chariots, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently."

And when he sees war-carriages, horsemen by twos, war-carriages with asses, war-carriages with camels, let him give special attention.

8 Then the lookout shouted: "Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and every night I stay at my post.

And the watchman gave a loud cry, O my lord, I am on the watchtower all day, and am placed in my watch every night:

9 Look, here comes a troop of men, horsemen in pairs." He answered, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the engraved images of her gods are broken to the ground.

See, here come war-carriages with men, horsemen by twos: and in answer he said, Babylon is made low, is made low, and all her images are broken on the earth.

10 You are my threshing, and the grain of my floor." That which I have heard from YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you.

O my crushed ones, the grain of my floor! I have given you the word which came to me from the Lord of armies, the God of Israel.

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

The word about Edom. A voice comes to me from Seir, Watchman, how far gone is the night? how far gone is the night?

12 The watchman said, "The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire. Come back again."

The watchman says, The morning has come, but night is still to come: if you have questions to put, put them, and come back again.

13 The burden on Arabia. In the forest in Arabia you will lodge, you caravans of Dedanites.

The word about Arabia. In the thick woods of Arabia will be your night's resting-place, O travelling bands of Dedanites!

14 They brought water to him who was thirsty. The inhabitants of the land of Tema met the fugitives with their bread.

Give water to him who is in need of water; give bread, O men of the land of Tema, to those in flight.

15 For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the heat of battle.

For they are in flight from the sharp sword, and the bent bow, and from the trouble of war.

16 For YHWH said to me, "Within a year, as a worker bound by contract would count it, the glory of Kedar will fail,

For so has the Lord said to me, In a year, by the years of a servant working for payment, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end:

17 and the residue of the number of the archers, the warriors of the people of Kedar, will be few; for YHWH, the God of Israel, has spoken it."

And the rest of the bowmen, the men of war of the children of Kedar, will be small in number: for the Lord, the God of Israel, has said it.