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 oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on, it comes 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 stern vision is told to me; the plunderer plunders, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, O Elam, lay siege, O Media; all the sighing she has caused I bring to an end.

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 my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in travail; I am bowed down so that I cannot hear, I am dismayed so that I cannot see.

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

4. My mind reels, horror has appalled me; the twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling.

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

5. They prepare the table, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink. Arise, O princes, oil 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 the Lord said to me: "Go, set a watchman, let him announce what he sees.

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. When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, riders on asses, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently."

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

8. Then he who saw cried: "Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and at my post I am stationed 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 come riders, horsemen in pairs!" And he answered, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the images of her gods he has shattered to 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 threshed and winnowed one, what I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, I announce to you.

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

11. The oracle concerning Dumah. One is calling to me from Se'ir, "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 says: "Morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; come back again."

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

13. The oracle concerning Arabia. In the thickets in Arabia you will lodge, O caravans of De'danites.

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

14. To the thirsty bring water, meet the fugitive with bread, O inhabitants of the land of Tema.

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

15. For they have fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the press of battle.

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 the Lord said to me, "Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end;

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

17. and the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar will be few; for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken."