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. 'Like hurricanes in the south for passing through, From the wilderness it hath come, From a fearful 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 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 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 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 Myn herte fadide, derknessis astonieden me; Babiloyne, my derlyng, is set to me in to myracle.

Wandered hath my heart, trembling hath terrified me, The twilight of my desire He hath made a fear to me,

5 Sette thou a boord, biholde thou in to a toting place; rise, ye princes, etynge and drynkynge, take ye scheeld.

Arrange the table, watch in the watch-tower, Eat, drink, rise, ye heads, anoint 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 thus said the Lord unto me: 'Go, station the watchman, That which he seeth let him declare.'

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,

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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. Unto me is [one] calling from 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 hath said, 'Come hath morning, and also night, If ye inquire, inquire ye, turn back, come.'

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

The burden on Arabia. In a forest in Arabia ye lodge, O travellers of Dedanim.

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.

To meet the thirsty brought water have Inhabitants of the land of Tema, With his bread they came before a fugitive.

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 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 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 thus said the Lord unto me: 'Within a year, as years of a hireling, Consumed hath been all the honour of Kedar.

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 remnant of the number of bow-men, The mighty of the sons of Kedar are few, For Jehovah, God of Israel, hath spoken!'