Isaiah 21

1The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it cometh from the wilderness, from a terrible land.

1A message concerning the desert by the sea: Like a windstorm sweeping through the south, an invader comes from the desert, from a terrifying land.

2A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous man dealeth treacherously, and the destroyer destroyeth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

2A harsh vision has been shown to me: The traitor still betrays, and the destroyer still destroys. Attack, Elam! Lay siege, Media! I will bring an end to all the groaning caused by Babylon.

3Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see.

3Because of this, my body is filled with pain; I am gripped by agony like a woman in labor. I am so upset I cannot hear; I am so terrified I cannot see.

4My heart fluttereth, horror hath affrighted me; the twilight that I desired hath been turned into trembling unto me.

4My heart pounds and horror makes me tremble. The cool evening I used to look forward to has become a time of terror for me.

5They prepare the table, they set the watch, they eat, they drink: rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield.

5They prepare the feast, they spread the rugs, they eat, and they drink. Get up, you leaders! Oil your shields for battle!

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

6This is what the Lord said to me: 'Go, station a lookout and have him report whatever he sees.'

7and when he seeth a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.

7If he sees chariots with pairs of horses, or riders on donkeys, or riders on camels, he must stay alert—completely alert!

8And he cried as a lion: O Lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights;

8Then the lookout shouted like a lion: 'My Lord, I stand on the watchtower every day, and I stay at my post every night.'

9and, behold, here cometh a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.

9'Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a pair of horses.' Then the lookout said, 'Babylon has fallen! It has fallen! All the carved statues of its gods lie smashed on the ground.'

10O thou my threshing, and the grain of my floor! that which I have heard from Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

10My people, who have been thrashed and winnowed like grain on the threshing floor, I have told you what I heard from the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel.

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

11A message concerning Dumah: Someone calls to me from Seir, 'Watchman, how much of the night is left? Watchman, how much longer until morning?'

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

12The watchman replies, 'Morning is coming, but then night will return. If you want to ask more, come back and ask again.'

13The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanites.

13A message concerning Arabia: You caravans of Dedanites, you must hide in the thickets of the Arabian desert.

14Unto him that was thirsty they brought water; the inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitives with their bread.

14You people of the land of Tema, bring water to the thirsty and food to the refugees.

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

15They are running away from swords—from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the terrors of battle.

16For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall fail;

16This is what the Lord says to me: 'Within one year, counting it exactly like a hired hand would, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end.'

17and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be few; for Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.

17'Only a few of the great archers of Kedar will survive.' The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken it.