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.

A message about the desert by the sea. Like storm winds passing through the Negev, something is coming from the desert, from a land of terror—

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 horrifying vision that has been explained to me. The betrayer still betrays; the destroyer still destroys. Elamites and Medes, go ahead, attack and lay siege to Babylon, for I'm putting a stop to all the pain it has caused.

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.

As a result my body is filled with agony. I'm overwhelmed with pain, like the pain of a woman giving birth. I am confused by what I hear; I am distressed by what I see.

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

My mind falters; I shake in panic. The night I looked forward to has become terrifying.

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

They set the table, they spread out the rugs, they eat and drink… “Get up, officers! Prepare your shields for battle!”

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

This is what the Lord told me: “Go! Have a lookout keep watch, and make sure he reports 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 chariots coming pulled by pairs of horses, riders on donkeys and on camels, he should watch very carefully, paying close attention.”

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.

Then the lookout shouted “Sir, I've stood here on the watchtower day after day; night after night I've remained 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.

Now look! A man in a chariot with a pair of horses is coming.” Then he said, “Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the idols of its gods lie smashed on 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!'

My poor downtrodden people, so badly mistreated, I have told you what I have heard from the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel.

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

A message about Edom. A voice is calling to me from Seir, asking, “Watchman, what time of night is it? Watchman, what time of night is it?”

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

The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but the night is coming again soon. If you want to ask again, then come back and ask.”

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

A message about Arabia. Caravans from Dedan, spend the night in the bushes.

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

People of Tema, take water to the thirsty, meet the refugees with food.

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.

They're running away from a fierce battle, from swords, drawn swords, from bows and arrows.

16 For thus said the Lord unto me: 'Within a year, as years of a hireling, Consumed hath been all the honour of Kedar.

This is what the Lord told me: “Within one year, just as a contract worker precisely counts years, all the glory of Kedar will be gone.

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!'

There will only be a few left of the archers, the warriors of Kedar.” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.