Isaiah 21

1 The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it cometh from the wilderness, from a terrible 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 unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

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 are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot 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 panteth, horror hath affrighted me: the twilight that I desired hath been turned into trembling unto 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, ye princes, anoint the shield.

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

6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman; let him declare what he seeth:

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

7 and when he seeth a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.

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 And he cried as a lion: O Lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights:

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 and, behold, here cometh a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto 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 O thou my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto 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 calleth unto 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 cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: turn ye, come.

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

13 The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanites.

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

14 Unto him that was thirsty they brought water; the inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet 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, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

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 thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall 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 mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be few: for the LORD, the God of Israel, hath 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!”