Isaiah 21

1 The birthun of the forsakun see. As whirlewyndis comen fro the southwest, it cometh fro desert, fro the orible lond.

The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it comes from the wilderness, from an awesome 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 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.

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 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.

4 Myn herte fadide, derknessis astonieden me; Babiloyne, my derlyng, is set to me in to myracle.

My heart flutters. Horror has frightened me. The twilight that I desired has been turned into trembling for me.

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 set the watch. They eat. They drink. Rise up, you princes, oil the shield!

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 the Lord said to me, “Go, set a watchman. Let him declare 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 troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, a troop of camels, he shall listen diligently with great attentiveness.”

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.

He cried like a lion: “Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and every night I stay at my post.

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.

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.

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.

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.

11 The birthun of Duma. It crieth fro Seir to me, Kepere, what our of the niyt? `kepere, what our of the niyt?

The burden of Dumah. One calls to me out of Seir, “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what 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 will enquire, enquire. Come back again.”

13 The birthun in Arabie. In the forest at euentid ye schulen slepe, in the pathis of Dodanym.

The burden on Arabia. You will lodge in the thickets in Arabia, 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.

They brought water to him who was thirsty. The inhabitants of the land of Tema met the fugitives with their 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 fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the heat of battle.

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 the Lord said to me, “Within a year, as a worker bound by contract would count it, all the glory of Kedar will fail,

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.

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.”