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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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