Isaiah 21

1 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.

The burden of the desert of the sea. Just as the whirlwinds approach from Africa, it approaches from the desert, from a terrible land.

2 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.

A difficult vision has been announced to me: he who is unbelieving, he acts unfaithfully, and he who is a plunderer, he devastates. Ascend, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media! I have caused all its mourning to cease.

3 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.

Because of this, my lower back has been filled with pain, and anguish has possessed me, like the anguish of a woman in labor. I fell down when I heard it. I was disturbed when I saw it.

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

My heart withered. The darkness stupefied me. Babylon, my beloved, has become a wonder to me.

5 Arrange the table, watch in the watch-tower, Eat, drink, rise, ye heads, anoint the shield,

Prepare the table. Contemplate, from a place of observation, those who eat and drink. Rise up, you leaders! Take up the shield!

6 For thus said the Lord unto me: 'Go, station the watchman, That which he seeth let him declare.'

For the Lord has said this to me: “Go and station a watchman. And let him announce whatever he will see.”

7 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!

And he saw a chariot with two horsemen, and a rider on a donkey, and a rider on a camel. And he considered them diligently, with an intense gaze.

8 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.

And a lion cried out: “I am on the watchtower of the Lord, standing continually by day. And I am at my station, standing throughout the night.

9 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.

Behold, a certain man approaches, a man riding on a two-horse chariot.” And he responded, and he said: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! And all its graven gods have been crushed into the earth!

10 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!'

O my threshed grain! O sons of my threshing floor! What I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have announced to you.”

11 The burden of Dumah. Unto me is [one] calling from Seir 'Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?'

The burden of Dumah, cried out to me from Seir: “Watchman, how goes the night? Watchman, how goes the night?”

12 The watchman hath said, 'Come hath morning, and also night, If ye inquire, inquire ye, turn back, come.'

The watchman said: “Morning approaches with the night. If you are seeking: seek, and convert, and approach.”

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

The burden in Arabia. In the forest you shall sleep, in the evening on the paths of Dedanim.

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

You who inhabit the land of the south: upon meeting the thirsty, bring water; meet the fugitive with bread.

15 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.

For they are fleeing before the face of swords, before the face of a sword hanging over them, before the face of a bent bow, before the face of a grievous battle.

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

For the Lord said this to me: “After one more year, just like one year for a hired hand, all the glory of Kedar will be taken away.

17 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!'

And the remainder of the multitude of strong archers from the sons of Kedar will be few, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken it.”