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 burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through, so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible 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 unto me: the treacherous dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, Elam! besiege, Media! All the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

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 are my loins filled with pain; anguish hath taken hold upon me, as the anguish of a woman in travail: I am bowed down so as not to hear, I am dismayed so as not to see.

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

My heart panteth, horror affrighteth me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into trembling unto me.

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

Prepare the table, appoint the watch; eat, drink: arise, ye princes, anoint 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 thus hath the Lord said unto me: Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

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.

And he saw chariots, horsemen by pairs, a chariot with asses, a chariot with camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed.

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.

And he cried [as] a lion, Lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights.

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!

— And behold, there cometh a chariot of men; horsemen by pairs. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto 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.”

O my threshing, and the corn of my floor! What I have heard of Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto 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. He calleth 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 cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire; return, come.

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

The burden against Arabia. In the forest of Arabia shall ye lodge, [ye] caravans of Dedanites.

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

Bring ye water to meet the thirsty! The inhabitants of the land of Tema come forth with their bread for him that fleeth.

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 flee from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

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 thus hath the Lord said unto me: Within a year, according to the years of a hired servant, and all the glory of Kedar shall 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 mighty men of the sons of Kedar, shall be diminished: for Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath spoken.