Isaiah 21
1 The birthun of the forsakun see. As whirlewyndis comen fro the southwest, it cometh fro desert, fro the orible lond.
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.
2 An hard reuelacioun is teld to me; he that is vnfeithful, doith vnfeithfuli; and he that is a distriere, distrieth. Thou Helam, stie, and thou, Meda, biseche; Y made al the weilyng therof for to ceesse.
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.
3 Therfor my leendis ben fillid with sorewe; angwische weldide me, as the angwisch of a womman trauelynge of child; Y felle doun, whanne Y herde; Y was disturblid, whanne Y siy.
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.
4 Myn herte fadide, derknessis astonieden me; Babiloyne, my derlyng, is set to me in to myracle.
My heart pounds; I shake with fear. Twilight was my desire, but it brought me terror.
5 Sette thou a boord, biholde thou in to a toting place; rise, ye princes, etynge and drynkynge, take ye scheeld.
They prepare the table, they spread rugs and eat and drink; arise, princes, anoint your shields with oil.
6 For whi the Lord seide these thingis to me, Go thou, and sette a lokere; and telle he, what euer thing he seeth.
For this is what the Lord said to me, “Go, post a watchman; he must report what he sees.
7 And he siy the chare of tweyne horse men, the stiere of an asse, and the stiere of a camel; and he bihelde diligentli with myche lokyng,
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.”
8 and criede as a lioun, Y stonde contynueli bi dai on the totyng place of the Lord, and Y stonde bi alle nyytis on my kepyng.
The watchman cries out, “Lord, on the watchtower I stand all day, every day, and at my post I stand all night long.”
9 Lo! this cometh, a man stiere of a carte of horse men. And Isaie criede, and seide, Babiloyne felle doun, felle doun; and alle the grauun ymagis of goddis therof ben al to-brokun in to erthe.
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.”
10 Mi threschyng, and the douyter of my cornfloor, Y haue teld to you what thingis Y herde of the Lord of oostis, of God of Israel.
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.
11 The birthun of Duma. It crieth fro Seir to me, Kepere, what our of the niyt? `kepere, what our of the niyt?
A declaration about Dumah. One calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12 The kepere seide, Morewtid cometh, and niyt; if ye seken, seke ye, and be ye conuertid, and `come ye.
The watchman said, “The morning comes and also the night. If you want to ask, then ask; and come back again.”
13 The birthun in Arabie. In the forest at euentid ye schulen slepe, in the pathis of Dodanym.
A declaration about Arabia. In the wilderness of Arabia you spend the night, you caravans of Dedanites.
14 Ye that dwellen in the lond of the south, renne, and bere watir to the thristi; and renne ye with looues to hym that fleeth.
Bring water for the thirsty; inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet the fugitives with bread.
15 For thei fledden fro the face of swerdis, fro the face of swerd neiyynge, fro the face of bouwe bent, fro the face of greuouse batel.
For they have fled from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the weight of war.
16 For the Lord seith these thingis to me, Yit in o yeer, as in the yeer of an hirid man, and al the glorie of Cedar schal be takun awei.
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.
17 And the remenauntis of the noumbre of stronge archeris of the sones of Cedar schulen be maad lesse; for whi the Lord God of Israel spak.
Only a few of the archers, the warriors of Kedar will remain,” for Yahweh, the God of Israel, has spoken.
