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.

A message about the desert by the sea. Like storm winds passing through the Negev, something is coming from the desert, from a land of terror—

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 horrifying vision that has been explained to me. The betrayer still betrays; the destroyer still destroys. Elamites and Medes, go ahead, attack and lay siege to Babylon, for I'm putting a stop to all the pain it has caused.

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.

As a result my body is filled with agony. I'm overwhelmed with pain, like the pain of a woman giving birth. I am confused by what I hear; I am distressed 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 falters; I shake in panic. The night I looked forward to has become terrifying.

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

They set the table, they spread out the rugs, they eat and drink… “Get up, officers! Prepare your shields for battle!”

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

This is what the Lord told me: “Go! Have a lookout keep watch, and make sure he reports what he sees.

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

When he sees chariots coming pulled by pairs of horses, riders on donkeys and on camels, he should watch very carefully, paying close attention.”

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

Then the lookout shouted “Sir, I've stood here on the watchtower day after day; night after night I've remained at my post.

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.

Now look! A man in a chariot with a pair of horses is coming.” Then he said, “Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the idols of its gods lie smashed on the ground!”

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.

My poor downtrodden people, so badly mistreated, I have told you what I have heard from the Lord Almighty, 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?"

A message about Edom. A voice is calling to me from Seir, asking, “Watchman, what time of night is it? Watchman, what time of night is it?”

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

The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but the night is coming again soon. If you want to ask again, then come back and ask.”

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

A message about Arabia. Caravans from Dedan, spend the night in the bushes.

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

People of Tema, take water to the thirsty, meet the refugees with food.

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

They're running away from a fierce battle, from swords, drawn swords, from bows and arrows.

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

This is what the Lord told me: “Within one year, just as a contract worker precisely counts years, all the glory of Kedar will be gone.

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."

There will only be a few left of the archers, the warriors of Kedar.” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.