Isaiah 21

1 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.

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

2 A grievous vision is declared to me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler plundereth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all its sighing have I made 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 Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

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

4 My heart panted, fearfulness terrified me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear 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, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

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

6 For thus hath the Lord said to me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

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

7 And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:

When he sees a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, a troop of camels, he shall listen diligently with great attentiveness.”

8 And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my post whole nights:

He cried like a lion: “Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and every night I stay at my post.

9 And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken to the ground.

Behold, 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 threshing, and the grain of my floor: that which I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared to you.

You are my threshing, and the grain of my floor!” That which I have heard from Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, I have declared to you.

11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of 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, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.

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

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

The burden on Arabia. You will lodge in the thickets in Arabia, you caravans of Dedanites.

14 The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they met with their bread him that fled.

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

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

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

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

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

17 And the remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.

and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, will be few; for Yahweh, the God of Israel, has spoken it.”