Isaiah 21
1 A declaration about the desert by the sea. Like stormwinds sweeping through the Negev it comes passing through from the wilderness, from a terrible land.
有關瀚海的神諭：猶如風暴由南方掃來；同樣，仇敵將由沙漠，由可怕之地而來。
2 A distressing vision has been given to me: the treacherous man deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up and attack, Elam; besiege, Media; I will stop all her groaning.
一悽慘的神視顯示給我：搶奪的盡量搶奪，破壞的盡量破壞。厄藍，上前！瑪待，圍攻！我要結束所有的嘆息！
3 Therefore my loins are filled with pain; pains like the pains of a woman in labor have taken hold of me; I am bowed down by what I heard; I am disturbed by what I saw.
為此我的兩腰滿是酸痛，侵襲我的劇痛無異產婦的痛苦；我惶亂得不能再聽，我昏迷得不能再看。
4 My heart pounds; I shake with fear. Twilight was my desire, but it brought me terror.
我的心神錯亂了，恐怖驟然襲擊了我；我所渴望的黃昏，為我反成了恐怖。
5 They prepare the table, they spread rugs and eat and drink; arise, princes, anoint your shields with oil.
盛宴已擺，華毯已舖，人們正在吃喝之際：「將帥們！起來！用油擦盾！」
6 For this is what the Lord said to me, “Go, post a watchman; he must report what he sees.
因為吾主對我這樣說：「去！派置一個警衛，叫他報告他所見的！
7 When he sees a chariot, a pair of horsemen, riders on donkeys, and riders on camels, then he must pay attention and be very alert.”
當他見到騎兵隊、一對一對的馬兵、驢隊和駱駝隊時，他要注意，要多多注意！」
8 The watchman cries out, “Lord, on the watchtower I stand all day, every day, and at my post I stand all night long.”
守望者喊叫：「吾主！我整日站在瞭望台上，長夜鵠立在我的守望所。
9 Here comes a chariot with a man and a pair of horsemen. He calls out, “Babylon has fallen, fallen, and all the carved figures of its gods are broken to the ground.”
看哪！來了一隊人馬，一對一對的騎兵！」有一個喊叫說：「陷落了！巴比倫陷落了！她所有的神像也都摔碎在地！」
10 My threshed and winnowed ones, children of my threshing floor! What I have heard from Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you.
我那被碾軋的百姓，我那禾場上的子民！凡是我由萬軍的上主，以色列的天主所聽到的，我都告訴了你們。
11 A declaration about Dumah. One calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?”
有關厄東的神諭：從色依爾有人向我喊叫說：「警衛！夜已何時了﹖夜已何時了﹖」
12 The watchman said, “The morning comes and also the night. If you want to ask, then ask; and come back again.”
警衛答說：「黎明已至，然而仍是黑夜；如果你們仍要詢問，詢問罷！再來一次！」
13 A declaration about Arabia. In the wilderness of Arabia you spend the night, you caravans of Dedanites.
有關荒野的神諭：你們在森林中，在荒野裏過宿罷！德丹的商旅，
14 Bring water for the thirsty; inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet the fugitives with bread.
請攜水出來迎接口渴的人！特瑪地的居民，請備糧接待逃難的人！
15 For they have fled from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the weight of war.
因為他們出逃，是由於面臨刀劍，面臨出鞘的刀劍，面臨已張的弓弩，面臨激烈的戰爭。
16 For this is what the Lord said to me, “Within a year, as a laborer hired for a year would see it, all the glory of Kedar will end.
上主曾這樣對我說：「照僱工的年限計，還有三年，刻達爾所有的榮耀都要完結；
17 Only a few of the archers, the warriors of Kedar will remain,” for Yahweh, the God of Israel, has spoken.
刻達爾子民的英勇弓手人數，剩下的很少。」因為上主以色列的天主，早就這樣說了。
