Esias 21

1 THE VISION OF THE DESERT. As though a whirlwind should pass through the desert, coming from a desert, [even] from such a land,

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 [so] a fearful and a grievous vision was declared to me: he that is treacherous deals treacherously, the transgressor transgresses. The Elamites are upon me, and the ambassadors of the Persians come against me: now will I groan and comfort myself.

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 Therefore are my loins filled with feebleness, and pangs have seized me as a travailing woman: I dealt wrongfully that I might not hear; I hasted that I might not see.

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 My heart wanders, and transgression overwhelms me; my soul is occupied with fear.

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

5 Prepare the table, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and prepare [your] shields.

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

6 For thus said the Lord to me, Go and station a watchman for thyself, and declare whatever thou shalt see.

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

7 And I saw two mounted horsemen, and a rider on an ass, and a rider on a camel.

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 Hearken with great attention, and call thou Urias to the watch-tower: the Lord has spoken. I stood continually during the day, and I stood in the camp all night:

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 and, behold, he comes riding in a chariot and pair: and he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all her images and her idols have been crushed to the ground.

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 Hear, ye that are left, and ye that are in pain, hear what things I have heard of the Lord of hosts [which] the God of Israel has declared to us. THE VISION OF IDUMEA.

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 Call to me out of Seir; guard ye the bulwarks.

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

12 I watch in the morning and the night: if thou wouldest enquire, enquire, and dwell by me.

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

13 Thou mayest lodge in the forest in the evening, or in the way of Daedan.

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

14 Ye that dwell in the country of Thaeman, bring water to meet him that is thirsty;

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

15 meet the fugitives with bread, because of the multitude of the slain, and because of the multitude of them that lose their way, and because of the multitude of swords, and because of the multitude of bent bows, and because of the multitude of them that have fallen in war.

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 thus said the Lord to me, Yet a year, as the year of an hireling, [and] the glory of the sons of Kedar shall fail:

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 remnant of the strong bows of the sons of Kedar shall be small: for the Lord God of Israel has spoken [it].

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!'