Isaiah 21

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

The oracle of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negev sweep through, it comes from the wilderness, from an awesome land.

2 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.

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 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.

Therefore my thighs are filled with anguish. Pains have taken hold on me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am in so much pain that I can't hear. I so am dismayed that I can't see.

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

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

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

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

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

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

7 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.

When he sees chariots, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently."

8 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.

Then the lookout shouted: "Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and every night I stay at my post.

9 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!

Look, 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 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.”

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, cried out to me from Seir: “Watchman, how goes the night? Watchman, how goes 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 said: “Morning approaches with the night. If you are seeking: seek, and convert, and approach.”

The watchman said, "The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire. Come back again."

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

The burden on Arabia. In the forest in Arabia you will lodge, you caravans of Dedanites.

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

They brought water to him who was thirsty. The inhabitants of the land of Tema met the fugitives with their bread.

15 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.

For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the heat of battle.

16 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.

For the LORD said to me, "Within a year, as a worker bound by contract would count it, the glory of Kedar will fail,

17 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.”

and the residue of the number of the archers, the warriors of the people of Kedar, will be few; for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken it."