Isaiah, 21

1. Proclamation about the coastal desert: As whirlwinds sweeping over the Negeb, he comes from the desert, from a fearsome country.

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.

2. A harsh vision has been shown me, 'The traitor betrays and the despoiler despoils. Advance, Elam, lay siege, Media!' I have cut short all groaning.

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.

3. This is why my loins are racked with pain, why I am seized with pangs like the pangs of a woman in labour; I am too distressed to hear, too afraid to look.

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].

4. My heart is bewildered, dread overwhelms me, the twilight I longed for has become my horror.

4. My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

5. They lay the table, spread the cloth, they eat, they drink. Up, princes, grease the shield!

5. Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, [and] anoint the shield.

6. For this is what the Lord has told me, 'Go, post a look-out, let him report what he sees.

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

7. He will see cavalry, horsemen two by two, men mounted on donkeys, men mounted on camels; let him watch alertly, be very alert indeed!'

7. And he saw a chariot [with] a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, [and] a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:

8. Then the look-out shouted, 'On the watchtower, Lord, I stay all day and at my post I stand all night.

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

9. Now the cavalry is coming, horsemen two by two.' He shouted again and said, 'Babylon has fallen, has fallen, and all the images of her gods he has shattered to the ground!'

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 unto the ground.

10. You whom I have threshed, grain of my threshing-floor, what I have heard from Yahweh Sabaoth, God of Israel, I am telling you now.

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

11. Proclamation about Dumah: From Seir, someone shouts to me, 'Watchman, what time of night? Watchman, what time of night?'

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

12. The watchman answers, 'Morning is coming, then night again. If you want to ask, ask! Come back! Come here!'

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

13. Proclamation about the wastelands: In the thickets, on the wastelands, you spend the night, you caravans of Dedanites.

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

14. Bring water for the thirsty! The inhabitants of Tema went with bread to greet the fugitive.

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

15. For these have fled before the sword, the naked sword and the bent bow, the press of battle.

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

16. For this is what the Lord has told me, 'In one year's time as a hired worker reckons it, all the glory of Kedar will be finished

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:

17. and, of the valiant archers, the Kedarites, hardly any will be left, for Yahweh, God of Israel, has spoken.'

17. And the residue 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].