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.

Ko e tala mamafa ʻoku kau ki he toafa ʻoe tahi. ʻO hangē ʻoku ʻasi ʻi he feituʻu tonga ʻae ngaahi ʻahiohio; ʻoku pehē ʻae haʻu ia mei he toafa, mei he fonua fakamanavahē.

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.

‌ʻOku fakahā mai kiate au ʻae meʻa hā mai fakamanavahē; ʻoku fai kākā ʻe he kākā, pea kuo veteki ʻe ia ʻoku vete. ʻE ʻIlami, ke ke ʻalu hake: ʻE Mitia, ke ke fai ʻae kāpui; he kuo u fakaʻosi ʻene ngaahi mamahi kotoa pē.

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.

Ko ia kuo fonu ai ʻi he mamahi hoku kongaloto: kuo kuku au ʻe he mamahi, ʻo hangē ko e mamahi ʻae fefine ʻoku langā: naʻaku mapelu ʻi he fanongo ki ai; pea ne u manavahē ʻi he sio ki ai.

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

‌ʻOku tateme hoku mafu, ʻoku ilifia ʻi he manavahē: kuo ne liliu ʻae pō ʻo ʻeku fiefia ko e manavahē kiate au.

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

“Teuteu ʻae keinangaʻanga, leʻo ʻi he fale leʻo, pea kai, mo inu: mou tuʻu hake ʻae ngaahi houʻeiki, pea tākai ʻae fakaū.”

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

He kuo pehē ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova kiate au, “ʻAlu, ʻo fakanofo ha tangata leʻo, ke ne fakahā ʻaia ʻoku ne mamata ki ai.

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.

Pea naʻa ne mamata ki he saliote mo e ongo tangata heka hoosi, ko e saliote mo e ngaahi ʻasi, pea mo e saliote mo e fanga kāmeli; pea naʻa ne fanongo ʻi he tokanga lahi:”

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.

Pea naʻa ne kalanga, ʻo hangē ko e laione: “Ko hoku ʻEiki, ʻoku ou tuʻumaʻu aipē ʻi he fale leʻo ʻi he ʻaho, pea ʻoku ou nofo ʻi hoku potu leʻo ʻi he ngaahi pō kotoa pē:

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!

Pea vakai, ʻoku haʻu ʻae saliote mo e kau tangata, mo e ongo tangata heka hoosi.” Pea naʻa ne lea ʻo pehē mai, “Kuo hinga ʻa Papilone, kuo hinga; pea kuo ne laiki ki he kelekele ʻae fakatātā kotoa pē ʻo hono ngaahi ʻotua ʻoku tongi.”

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.”

‌ʻOiauē! ʻAe meʻa kuo u haha, pea mo e uite ʻo hoku hahaʻanga: ko ia kuo u fanongo meia Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ko ia kuo u fakahā kiate koe.

11 The burden of Dumah, cried out to me from Seir: “Watchman, how goes the night? Watchman, how goes the night?”

Ko e tala mamafa ʻoku kau ki Toma. ʻOku ne ui kiate au mei Seia, ʻae tangata leʻo, “ʻOku fēfē ʻae pō? ʻAe tangata leʻo, ʻoku fēfē ʻae pō?”

12 The watchman said: “Morning approaches with the night. If you are seeking: seek, and convert, and approach.”

Naʻe pehē ʻe he tangata leʻo, “ʻOku haʻu ʻae pongipongi, pea mo e pō foki: kapau te mou fehuʻi, mou fehuʻi: tafoki, haʻu.”

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

Ko e tala mamafa ʻoku kau ki ʻAlepea. ʻI he vao lahi ʻi ʻAlepea, te mou mohe, ʻakimoutolu ko e kaunga fononga ʻo Tetanimi.

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

Naʻe ʻomi ʻe he kakai ʻoe fonua ko Tima ʻae vai kiate ia naʻe fieinu, naʻa nau tokoni ʻaki ʻenau mā ʻakinautolu naʻe hola.

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.

He naʻa nau hola mei he ngaahi heletā, mei he heletā kuo toʻo, pea mei he kaufana kuo teke, pea mo e ngaahi mamahi ʻoe tau.

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.

He kuo pehē ʻae folofola ʻae ʻEiki kiate au, “ʻI he teʻeki ai kakato ha taʻu ʻe taha, hangē ko e ngaahi taʻu ʻo ha taha ʻoku ngāue kae totongi, ʻe ngata ʻo ʻosi ʻae lelei kotoa pē ʻo Keta:

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.”

Pea ʻe fakatokosiʻi hono toe ʻoe lau ʻoe kau tangata fana, ʻi he kau tangata mālohi ʻoe fānau ʻo Keta: he kuo folofola ʻa Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli.”