Isaiah 21

¹The birthun of the forsakun see. As whirlewyndis comen fro the southwest, it cometh fro desert, fro the orible lond.

²An hard reuelacioun is teld to me; he that is vnfeithful, doith vnfeithfuli; and he that is a distriere, distrieth. Thou Helam, stie, and thou, Meda, biseche; Y made al the weilyng therof for to ceesse.

³Therfor my leendis ben fillid with sorewe; angwische weldide me, as the angwisch of a womman trauelynge of child; Y felle doun, whanne Y herde; Y was disturblid, whanne Y siy.

⁴Myn herte fadide, derknessis astonieden me; Babiloyne, my derlyng, is set to me in to myracle.

⁵Sette thou a boord, biholde thou in to a toting place; rise, ye princes, etynge and drynkynge, take ye scheeld.

⁶For whi the Lord seide these thingis to me, Go thou, and sette a lokere; and telle he, what euer thing he seeth.

⁷And he siy the chare of tweyne horse men, the stiere of an asse, and the stiere of a camel; and he bihelde diligentli with myche lokyng,

⁸and criede as a lioun, Y stonde contynueli bi dai on the totyng place of the Lord, and Y stonde bi alle nyytis on my kepyng.

⁹Lo! this cometh, a man stiere of a carte of horse men. And Isaie criede, and seide, Babiloyne felle doun, felle doun; and alle the grauun ymagis of goddis therof ben al to-brokun in to erthe.

¹⁰Mi threschyng, and the douyter of my cornfloor, Y haue teld to you what thingis Y herde of the Lord of oostis, of God of Israel.

¹¹The birthun of Duma. It crieth fro Seir to me, Kepere, what our of the niyt? `kepere, what our of the niyt?

¹²The kepere seide, Morewtid cometh, and niyt; if ye seken, seke ye, and be ye conuertid, and `come ye.

¹³The birthun in Arabie. In the forest at euentid ye schulen slepe, in the pathis of Dodanym.

¹⁴Ye that dwellen in the lond of the south, renne, and bere watir to the thristi; and renne ye with looues to hym that fleeth.

¹⁵For thei fledden fro the face of swerdis, fro the face of swerd neiyynge, fro the face of bouwe bent, fro the face of greuouse batel.

¹⁶For the Lord seith these thingis to me, Yit in o yeer, as in the yeer of an hirid man, and al the glorie of Cedar schal be takun awei.

¹⁷And the remenauntis of the noumbre of stronge archeris of the sones of Cedar schulen be maad lesse; for whi the Lord God of Israel spak.

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.