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 prophecy concerning the desert of the sea. As storms which rush along through the south, So it cometh from the desert, From the terrible 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 grievous vision was revealed to me; The plunderer plundereth, and the destroyer destroyeth. “Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All sighing do I make 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 are my loins full of pain; Pangs have seized me, as the pangs of a woman in travail; For convulsions I cannot hear; For anguish I cannot see.

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

My heart panteth, Terror hath seized upon me; The evening of my desire is changed into horror.

5 They prepare the table, they spread rugs and eat and drink; arise, princes, anoint your shields with oil.

The table is prepared; the watch is set; They eat; they drink; “Arise, ye princes! 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 unto me: “Go, set a watchman, Who shall declare what he seeth.”

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 saw a troop, horsemen in pairs, Riders on asses, and riders on camels, And he watched with the utmost heed.

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

Then he cried like a lion: “My Lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the daytime, And keep my post all the night;

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, there cometh a troop, Horsemen in pairs.” Again also he lifted up his voice, and said: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon, And all the graven images of her gods are cast broken to the ground.”

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 corn of my floor! What I have heard from Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, That have I 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 prophecy concerning Dumah. A voice came 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 saith: “Morning cometh, and also night. If ye will inquire, inquire! Return, come!”

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

The prophecy against the Arabians. In the thickets of Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedan!

14 Bring water for the thirsty; inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet the fugitives with bread.

The inhabitants of the land of Tema Bring water to the thirsty; They come to meet the fugitive with bread.

15 For they have fled from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the weight of war.

For they flee from swords, From the drawn sword, And from the bent bow, And from the fury of war.

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 saith the Lord to me: Within one year, according to the years of a hireling, Shall all the glory of Kedar be consumed.

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

The remainder of the mighty bowmen of the sons of Kedar shall be diminished; For Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath said it.