ישעה 21
| משא מדבר ים כסופות בנגב לחלף ממדבר בא מארץ נוראה׃ | 1 |
[I received] this message [from Yahweh about Babylonia], [a land that is] near the [Persian] Gulf [but which will soon be] a desert. [An army] will soon come from the desert to invade that land; it is an army that causes its enemies to be terrified, an army that will come like a whirlwind from the south.
| חזות קשה הגד לי הבוגד בוגד והשודד שודד עלי עילם צורי מדי כל אנחתה השבתי׃ | 2 |
Yahweh showed me a terrifying vision. [In the vision I saw an army] that will betray/deceive people and steal their possessions [after they conquer them]. [Yahweh said], “You armies from Elam and Media, surround [Babylon] and prepare to attack it! I will cause the groaning [and suffering] that Babylon caused to cease!”
| על כן מלאו מתני חלחלה צירים אחזוני כצירי יולדה נעויתי משמע נבהלתי מראות׃ | 3 |
Because of that, my body is full of pain; my pain is like the pain that women who are giving birth experience. When I hear about and see [what God is planning to do], I am shocked.
| תעה לבבי פלצות בעתתני את נשף חשקי שם לי לחרדה׃ | 4 |
I cannot think straight/correctly, and I tremble. I was eager for it to be nighttime, but now it is night, and I am horrified.
| ערך השלחן צפה הצפית אכול שתה קומו השרים משחו מגן׃ | 5 |
[In the vision I saw that the leaders of Babylonia] were preparing a great feast. They had spread rugs [for people to sit on]; everyone was eating and drinking. [But] they should get up and prepare their shields, [because they are about to be attacked]!
| כי כה אמר אלי אדני לך העמד המצפה אשר יראה יגיד׃ | 6 |
Then Yahweh said to me, “Put a watchman [on the wall of Jerusalem], and tell him to shout/proclaim what he sees.
| וראה רכב צמד פרשים רכב חמור רכב גמל והקשיב קשב רב קשב׃ | 7 |
Tell him to watch for chariots pulled by pairs of horses, and [men riding] camels and donkeys, [coming from Babylon]. Tell the watchman to watch and listen carefully!”
| ויקרא אריה על מצפה אדני אנכי עמד תמיד יומם ועל משמרתי אנכי נצב כל הלילות׃ | 8 |
[So I did that], and one day the watchman called out, “Day after day I have stood on this watchtower, and I have continued to watch during the day and during the night.
| והנה זה בא רכב איש צמד פרשים ויען ויאמר נפלה נפלה בבל וכל פסילי אלהיה שבר לארץ׃ | 9 |
Now, I saw a man riding in a chariot pulled by two horses. [I called out to him], and he answered/shouted, ‘Babylon has been destroyed! All the idols in Babylon lie in pieces on the ground!’”
| מדשתי ובן גרני אשר שמעתי מאת יהוה צבאות אלהי ישראל הגדתי לכם׃ | 10 |
My people [in Judah], [the army of Babylon has caused] you to suffer greatly [as though] [MET] you were grain that was threshed and (winnowed/thrown up into the air for the wind to blow away the chaff). [But now] I have told you what the Commander of the armies of angels the God whom we Israelis [worship], told me [about Babylon].
| משא דומה אלי קרא משעיר שמר מה מלילה שמר מה מליל׃ | 11 |
[I received] this message [from Yahweh] about Edom: Someone from Edom has been calling/shouting to me saying, “Watchman, how long will it be before the night is ended? [DOU]”
| אמר שמר אתה בקר וגם לילה אם תבעיון בעיו שבו אתיו׃ | 12 |
[I], the watchman, replied, “It will [soon] be morning, but after that, it will [soon] be night again. If you want to inquire [again about what will happen in our country], come back and inquire again.”
| משא בערב ביער בערב תלינו ארחות דדנים׃ | 13 |
[I received] this message about Arabia: Give this message to people traveling in caravans from Dedan [town in northwest Arabia], who camp in the scrub there. Tell them to bring water for those who are thirsty.
| לקראת צמא התיו מים ישבי ארץ תימא בלחמו קדמו נדד׃ | 14 |
And you people who live in Tema [city in northwest Arabia], must bring food for the (refugees/people who are fleeing from their enemies).
| כי מפני חרבות נדדו מפני חרב נטושה ומפני קשת דרוכה ומפני כבד מלחמה׃ | 15 |
They are fleeing in order not to be killed by [their enemies’] swords and not to be shot in battles by arrows.
| כי כה אמר אדני אלי בעוד שנה כשני שכיר וכלה כל כבוד קדר׃ | 16 |
Yahweh said to me, “Exactly one year from now, all the greatness of the Kedar [area in Arabia] will end.
| ושאר מספר קשת גבורי בני קדר ימעטו כי יהוה אלהי ישראל דבר׃ | 17 |
Only a few of their soldiers who know well how to shoot arrows will remain alive. [That will surely happen] because [I], Yahweh, have said it.”
