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 in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.

²A 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.

³Therefore 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.

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

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

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

⁷And 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:

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

⁹And, 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.

¹⁰O 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.

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

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

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

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

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

¹⁶For 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:

¹⁷And 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.