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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 pounds; I shake with fear. Twilight was my desire, but it brought me terror.

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 spread rugs and eat and drink; arise, princes, anoint your shields with oil.

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

6 For this is what the Lord said to me, “Go, post a watchman; he must report 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 a chariot, a pair of horsemen, riders on donkeys, and riders on camels, then he must pay attention and be very alert.”

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 The watchman cries out, “Lord, on the watchtower I stand all day, every day, and at my post I stand all night long.”

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 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.”

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 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.

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 A declaration about Dumah. One calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left 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 want to ask, then ask; and come back again.”

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

13 A declaration about Arabia. In the wilderness of Arabia you spend the night, you caravans of Dedanites.

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

14 Bring water for the thirsty; inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet the fugitives with 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 have fled from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the weight 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 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.

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 Only a few of the archers, the warriors of Kedar will remain,” for Yahweh, the God of Israel, has spoken.

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!”