Isaiah 21

1 The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it cometh from the wilderness, from a terrible land.

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

2 A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

[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.

3 Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see.

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.

4 My heart panteth, horror hath affrighted me: the twilight that I desired hath been turned into trembling unto me.

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

5 They prepare the table, they set the watch, they eat, they drink: rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield.

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

6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman; let him declare what he seeth:

For thus said the Lord to me, Go and station a watchman for yourself, and declare whatever you shall see.

7 and when he seeth a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.

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

8 And he cried as a lion: O Lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights:

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

9 and, behold, here cometh a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.

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.

10 O thou my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

Hear, you that are left, and you 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.

11 The burden of Dumah. One calleth unto me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?

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

12 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: turn ye, come.

I watch in the morning and the night: if you would enquire, enquire, and dwell by me.

13 The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanites.

You may lodge in the forest in the evening, or in the way of Daedan.

14 Unto him that was thirsty they brought water; the inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitives with their bread.

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

15 For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

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.

16 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:

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:

17 and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be few: for the LORD, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.

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