Ἠσαΐας 21
1 τὸ ὅραμα τῆς ἐρήμου ὡς καταιγὶς δῑ ἐρήμου διέλθοι ἐξ ἐρήμου ἐρχομένη ἐκ γῆς φοβερὸν
This is the burden against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negev, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.
2 τὸ ὅραμα καὶ σκληρὸν ἀνηγγέλη μοι ὁ ἀθετῶν ἀθετεῖ ὁ ἀνομῶν ἀνομεῖ ἐπ’ ἐμοὶ οἱ Αιλαμῖται καὶ οἱ πρέσβεις τῶν Περσῶν ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἔρχονται νῦν στενάξω καὶ παρακαλέσω ἐμαυτόν
A dire vision is declared to me: “The traitor still betrays, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media! I will put an end to all her groaning.”
3 διὰ τοῦτο ἐνεπλήσθη ἡ ὀσφύς μου ἐκλύσεως καὶ ὠδῖνες ἔλαβόν με ὡς τὴν τίκτουσαν ἠδίκησα τὸ μὴ ἀκοῦσαι ἐσπούδασα τὸ μὴ βλέπειν
Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to see.
4 ἡ καρδία μου πλανᾶται καὶ ἡ ἀνομία με βαπτίζει ἡ ψυχή μου ἐφέστηκεν εἰς φόβον
My heart falters; fear makes me tremble. The twilight of my desire has turned to horror.
5 ἑτοίμασον τὴν τράπεζαν πίετε φάγετε ἀναστάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες ἑτοιμάσατε θυρεούς
They prepare a table, they lay out a carpet, they eat, they drink! Rise up, O princes, oil the shields!
6 ὅτι οὕτως εἶπεν κύριος πρός με βαδίσας σεαυτῷ στῆσον σκοπὸν καὶ ὃ ἂν ἴδῃς ἀνάγγειλον
For this is what the Lord says to me: “Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees.
7 καὶ εἶδον ἀναβάτας ἱππεῖς δύο ἀναβάτην ὄνου καὶ ἀναβάτην καμήλου ἀκρόασαι ἀκρόασιν πολλὴν
When he sees chariots with teams of horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, he must be alert, fully alert.”
8 καὶ κάλεσον Ουριαν εἰς τὴν σκοπιὰν κυρίου καὶ εἶπεν ἔστην διὰ παντὸς ἡμέρας καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς παρεμβολῆς ἔστην ὅλην τὴν νύκτα
Then the lookout shouted: “Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; night after night I stay at my post.
9 καὶ ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς ἔρχεται ἀναβάτης συνωρίδος καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν πέπτωκεν Βαβυλών καὶ πάντα τὰ ἀγάλματα αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ χειροποίητα αὐτῆς συνετρίβησαν εἰς τὴν γῆν
Look, here come the riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one answered, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”
10 ἀκούσατε οἱ καταλελειμμένοι καὶ οἱ ὀδυνώμενοι ἀκούσατε ἃ ἤκουσα παρὰ κυρίου σαβαωθ ὁ θεὸς τοῦ Ισραηλ ἀνήγγειλεν ἡμῖν
O my people, crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel.
11 τὸ ὅραμα τῆς Ιδουμαίας πρὸς ἐμὲ καλεῖ παρὰ τοῦ Σηιρ φυλάσσετε ἐπάλξεις
This is the burden against Dumah: One calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12 φυλάσσω τὸ πρωὶ καὶ τὴν νύκτα ἐὰν ζητῇς ζήτει καὶ παρ’ ἐμοὶ οἴκει
The watchman replies, “Morning has come, but also the night. If you would inquire, then inquire. Come back yet again.”
13 ἐν τῷ δρυμῷ ἑσπέρας κοιμηθήσῃ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ Δαιδαν
This is the burden against Arabia: In the thickets of Arabia you must lodge, O caravans of Dedanites.
14 εἰς συνάντησιν διψῶντι ὕδωρ φέρετε οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες ἐν χώρᾳ Θαιμαν ἄρτοις συναντᾶτε τοῖς φεύγουσιν
Bring water for the thirsty, O dwellers of Tema; meet the refugees with food.
15 διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν φευγόντων καὶ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν πλανωμένων καὶ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς μαχαίρας καὶ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν τοξευμάτων τῶν διατεταμένων καὶ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν πεπτωκότων ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ
For they flee from the sword— the sword that is drawn— from the bow that is bent, and from the stress of battle.
16 ὅτι οὕτως εἶπέν μοι κύριος ἔτι ἐνιαυτὸς ὡς ἐνιαυτὸς μισθωτοῦ ἐκλείψει ἡ δόξα τῶν υἱῶν Κηδαρ
For this is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a hired worker would count it, all the glory of Kedar will be gone.
17 καὶ τὸ κατάλοιπον τῶν τοξευμάτων τῶν ἰσχυρῶν υἱῶν Κηδαρ ἔσται ὀλίγον διότι κύριος ἐλάλησεν ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ
The remaining archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” For the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.
