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 hurricanes in the south for passing through, From the wilderness it hath come, 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 hath been declared to me, The treacherous dealer is dealing treacherously, And the destroyer is destroying. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Media, All its sighing I have caused 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 filled have been my loins [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.
Wandered hath my heart, trembling hath terrified me, The twilight of my desire He hath made 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 watch-tower, Eat, drink, rise, ye 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 unto me: 'Go, station the watchman, That which he seeth let him declare.'
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 hath seen a chariot — a couple of horsemen, The rider of an ass, the rider of a camel, And he hath given attention — He hath 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 crieth — a lion, 'On a watch-tower my lord, I am standing continually by day, And on my ward I am stationed 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 lo, this, the chariot of a man is coming, A couple of horsemen.' And he answereth and saith: 'Fallen, fallen hath Babylon, And all the graven images of her gods He hath broken 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 Jehovah 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. Unto me is [one] calling 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 hath said, 'Come hath morning, and also night, If ye inquire, inquire ye, turn back, come.'
13 A declaration about Arabia. In the wilderness of Arabia you spend the night, you caravans of Dedanites.
The burden on Arabia. In a forest in Arabia ye lodge, O travellers of Dedanim.
14 Bring water for the thirsty; inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet the fugitives with bread.
To meet the thirsty brought water have Inhabitants of the land of Tema, 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 from the face of destructions they fled, From the face of a stretched-out 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 unto me: 'Within a year, as years of a hireling, Consumed hath been all the honour of Kedar.
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 Jehovah, God of Israel, hath spoken!'
