Isaiah 21

¹The oracle of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negev sweep through, it comes from the wilderness, from an awesome land.

²A 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.

³Therefore my thighs are filled with anguish. Pains have taken hold on me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am in so much pain that I can't hear. I so am dismayed that I can't see.

⁴My heart flutters. Horror has frightened me. The twilight that I desired has been turned into trembling for me.

⁵They prepare the table. They set the watch. They eat. They drink. Rise up, you princes, oil the shield!

⁶For the Lord said to me, "Go, set a watchman. Let him declare what he sees.

⁷When he sees a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, a troop of camels, he shall listen diligently with great attentiveness."

⁸He cried like a lion: "Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and every night I stay at my post.

⁹Behold, 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.

¹⁰You are my threshing, and the grain of my floor!" That which I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you.

¹¹The burden of Dumah. One calls to me out of Seir, "Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?"

¹²The watchman said, "The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire. Come back again."

¹³The burden on Arabia. In the forest in Arabia you will lodge, you caravans of Dedanites.

¹⁴They brought water to him who was thirsty. The inhabitants of the land of Tema met the fugitives with their bread.

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

¹⁶For the Lord said to me, "Within a year, as a worker bound by contract would count it, all the glory of Kedar will fail,

¹⁷and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children 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.