Isaiah 21
1 The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it comes from the wilderness, from an awesome land.
The burden of the desert Sea. As the whirlewindes in the South vse to passe from the wildernesse, so shall it come from the horrible land.
2 A grievous vision is declared to me. The treacherous man deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam; attack! I have stopped all of Media’s sighing.
A grieuous vision was shewed vnto me, The transgressour against a transgressour, and the destroyer against a destroyer. Goe vp Elam, besiege Media: I haue caused all the mourning thereof to cease.
3 Therefore my thighs are filled with anguish. Pains have seized me, like the pains of a woman in labour. I am in so much pain that I can’t hear. I am so dismayed that I can’t see.
Therefore are my loynes filled with sorow: sorowes haue taken me as the sorowes of a woman that trauayleth: I was bowed downe when I heard it, and I was amased when I sawe it.
4 My heart flutters. Horror has frightened me. The twilight that I desired has been turned into trembling for me.
Mine heart failed: fearefulnesse troubled me: the night of my pleasures hath he turned into feare vnto me.
5 They prepare the table. They set the watch. They eat. They drink. Rise up, you princes, oil the shield!
Prepare thou the table: watch in the watch towre: eate, drinke: arise, ye princes, anoynt the shielde.
6 For the Lord said to me, “Go, set a watchman. Let him declare what he sees.
For thus hath the Lord said vnto me, Go, set a watchman, to tell what he seeth.
7 When he sees a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, a troop of camels, he shall listen diligently with great attentiveness.”
And he sawe a charet with two horsemen: a charet of an asse, and a charet of a camel: and he hearkened and tooke diligent heede.
8 He cried like a lion: “Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and every night I stay at my post.
And he cryed, A lyon: my lorde, I stand continually vpon ye watche towre in the day time, and I am set in my watche euery night:
9 Behold, here comes a troop of men, horsemen in pairs.” He answered, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the engraved images of her gods are broken to the ground.
And beholde, this mans charet commeth with two horsemen. And he answered and said, Babel is fallen: it is fallen, and all the images of her gods hath he broken vnto the ground.
10 You are my threshing, and the grain of my floor!” That which I have heard from the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you.
O my threshing, and the corne of my floore. That which I haue heard of the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, haue I shewed vnto you.
11 The burden of Dumah. One calls to me out of Seir, “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?”
The burden of Dumah. He calleth vnto me out of Seir, Watchman, what was in ye night? Watchman, what was in the night?
12 The watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will enquire, enquire. Come back again.”
The watchman saide, The morning commeth, and also the night. If yee will aske, enquire: returne and come.
13 The burden on Arabia. You will lodge in the thickets in Arabia, you caravans of Dedanites.
The burden against Arabia. In the forest of Arabia shall yee tarie all night, euen in the waies of Dedanim.
14 They brought water to him who was thirsty. The inhabitants of the land of Tema met the fugitives with their bread.
O inhabitants of the lande of Tema, bring foorth water to meete the thirstie, and preuent him that fleeth with his bread.
15 For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the heat of battle.
For they flee from the drawen swords, euen from the drawen sword, and from the bent bowe, and from the grieuousnesse of warre.
16 For the Lord said to me, “Within a year, as a worker bound by contract would count it, all the glory of Kedar will fail,
For thus hath the Lord sayd vnto me, Yet a yeere according to the yeeres of an hireling, and all the glorie of Kedar shall faile.
17 and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, will be few; for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken it.”
And the residue of the nomber of ye strong archers of the sonnes of Kedar shall be fewe: for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it.
