Isaiah 21

¹The burden of the desert of the sea. Just as the whirlwinds approach from Africa, it approaches from the desert, from a terrible land.

²A 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.

³Because 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.

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

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

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

⁷And 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.

⁸And 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.

⁹Behold, 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!

¹⁰O 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.”

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

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

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

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

¹⁵For 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.

¹⁶For 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.

¹⁷And 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.”

Isaiah 21

¹The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds come from the south, it cometh from the desert from a terrible land.

²A grievous vision is told me: he that is unfaithful dealeth unfaithfully: and he that is a spoiler, spoileth. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Mede: I have made all the mourning thereof to cease.

³Therefore are my loins filled with pain, anguish hath taken hold of me, as the anguish of a woman in labour: I fell down at the hearing of it, I was troubled at the seeing of it.

⁴My heart failed, darkness amazed me: Babylon my beloved is become a wonder to me.

⁵Prepare the table, behold in the watchtower them that eat and drink: arise, ye princes, take up the shield.

⁶For thus hath the Lord said to me: Go, and set a watchman: and whatsoever he shall see, let him tell.

⁷And he saw a chariot with two horsemen, a rider upon an ass, and a rider upon a camel: and he beheld them diligently with much heed.

⁸And a lion cried out: I am upon the watchtower of the Lord, standing continually by day: and I am upon my ward, standing whole nights.

⁹Behold this man cometh, the rider upon the chariot with two horsemen, and he answered, and said: Babylon is fallen, she is fallen, and all the graven gods thereof are broken unto the ground.

¹⁰O my thrashing, and the children of my floor, that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared unto you.

¹¹The burden of Duma calleth to me out of Seir: Watchman, what of the night? watchman, what of the night?

¹²The watchman said: The morning cometh, also the night: if you seek, seek: return, come.

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

¹⁴Meeting the thirsty bring him water, you that inhabit the land of the south, meet with bread him that fleeth.

¹⁵For they are fled from before the swords, from the sword that hung over them, from the bent bow, from the face of a grievous battle.

¹⁶For thus saith the Lord to me: Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Cedar shall be taken away.

¹⁷And the residue of the number of strong archers of the children of Cedar shall be diminished: for the Lord the God of Israel hath spoken it.