Isaiah 21

1The burden of the wilderness of the sea. `Like hurricanes in the south for passing through, From the wilderness it hath come, From a fearful land.

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

2A hard vision hath been declared to me, The treacherous dealer is dealing treacherously, And the destroyer is destroying. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Media, All its sighing I have caused to cease.

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.

3Therefore filled have been my loins <FI>with<Fi> great pain, Pangs have seized me as pangs of a travailing woman, I have been bent down by hearing, I have been troubled by seeing.

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.

4Wandered hath my heart, trembling hath terrified me, The twilight of my desire He hath made a fear to me,

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

5Arrange the table, watch in the watch-tower, Eat, drink, rise, ye heads, anoint the shield,

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

6For thus said the Lord unto me: `Go, station the watchman, That which he seeth let him declare.'

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

7And he hath seen a chariot--a couple of horsemen, The rider of an ass, the rider of a camel, And he hath given attention--He hath increased attention!

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

8And he crieth--a lion, `On a watch-tower my lord, I am standing continually by day, And on my ward I am stationed whole nights.

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;

9And lo, this, the chariot of a man is coming, A couple of horsemen.' And he answereth and saith: `Fallen, fallen hath Babylon, And all the graven images of her gods He hath broken to the earth.

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.

10O my threshing, and the son of my floor, That which I heard from Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, I have declared to you!'

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.

11The burden of Dumah. Unto me is <FI>one<Fi> calling from Seir `Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?'

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

12The watchman hath said, `Come hath morning, and also night, If ye inquire, inquire ye, turn back, come.'

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

13The burden on Arabia. In a forest in Arabia ye lodge, O travellers of Dedanim.

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

14To meet the thirsty brought water have Inhabitants of the land of Tema, With his bread they came before a fugitive.

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

15For from the face of destructions they fled, From the face of a stretched-out sword, And from the face of a trodden bow, And from the face of the grievousness of battle.

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

16For thus said the Lord unto me: `Within a year, as years of a hireling, Consumed hath been all the honour of Kedar.

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;

17And the remnant of the number of bow-men, The mighty of the sons of Kedar are few, For Jehovah, God of Israel, hath spoken!'

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.