Isaiah 21
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Isaiah 21
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| The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it cometh from the wilderness, from a terrible land. | The word about the waste land. As storm-winds in the South go rushing through, it comes from the waste land, from the land greatly to be feared. |
| A 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. | A vision of fear comes before my eyes; the worker of deceit goes on in his false way, and the waster goes on making waste. Up! Elam; to the attack! Media; I have put an end to her sorrow. |
| Therefore 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. | For this cause I am full of bitter grief; pains like the pains of a woman in childbirth have come on me: I am bent down with sorrow at what comes to my ears; I am shocked by what I see. |
| My heart fluttereth, horror hath affrighted me; the twilight that I desired hath been turned into trembling unto me. | My mind is wandering, fear has overcome me: the evening of my desire has been turned into shaking for me. |
| They prepare the table, they set the watch, they eat, they drink: rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield. | They make ready the table, they put down the covers, they take food and drink. Up! you captains; put oil on your breastplates. |
| For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman: let him declare what he seeth: | For so has the Lord said to me, Go, let a watchman be placed; let him give word of what he sees: |
| and when he seeth a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed. | And when he sees war-carriages, horsemen by twos, war-carriages with asses, war-carriages with camels, let him give special attention. |
| And 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; | And the watchman gave a loud cry, O my lord, I am on the watchtower all day, and am placed in my watch every night: |
| and, 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. | See, here come war-carriages with men, horsemen by twos: and in answer he said, Babylon is made low, is made low, and all her images are broken on the earth. |
| O 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. | O my crushed ones, the grain of my floor! I have given you the word which came to me from the Lord of armies, the God of Israel. |
| The burden of Dumah. One calleth unto me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? | The word about Edom. A voice comes to me from Seir, Watchman, how far gone is the night? how far gone is the night? |
| The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: turn ye, come. | The watchman says, The morning has come, but night is still to come: if you have questions to put, put them, and come back again. |
| The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanites. | The word about Arabia. In the thick woods of Arabia will be your night's resting-place, O travelling bands of Dedanites! |
| Unto him that was thirsty they brought water; the inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitives with their bread. | Give water to him who is in need of water; give bread, O men of the land of Tema, to those in flight. |
| For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. | For they are in flight from the sharp sword, and the bent bow, and from the trouble of war. |
| For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall fail; | For so has the Lord said to me, In a year, by the years of a servant working for payment, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end: |
| and 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. | And the rest of the bowmen, the men of war of the children of Kedar, will be small in number: for the Lord, the God of Israel, has said it. |
