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

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

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

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

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

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

For the Lord said to me, “Go, set a watchman. Let him declare what he sees.

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!

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 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.

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

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, 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 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!'

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

The burden of Dumah. One calls to me out of Seir, “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?”

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

The watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will enquire, enquire. Come back again.”

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

The burden on Arabia. You will lodge in the thickets in Arabia, you caravans of Dedanites.

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

They brought water to him who was thirsty. The inhabitants of the land of Tema met the fugitives with their 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 fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the heat of 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 to me, “Within a year, as a worker bound by contract would count it, all the glory of Kedar will fail,

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 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.”