Isaiah 21

1 The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, 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 to me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler plundereth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all its sighing 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 pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

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 panted, fearfulness terrified me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear to me.

My heart has wandered, trembling has terrified me, He has made the twilight of my desire a fear to me,

5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and 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 to 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 he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened 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, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my post 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 chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath 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 O my threshing, and the grain of my floor: that which I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I 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 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to 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 enquire, enquire ye: return, 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 Dedanim.

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

14 The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they met with their bread him that fled.

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 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 to 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 remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD 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!”