Isaiah 21
1A declaration about the desert by the sea. 1 Like stormwinds sweeping through the Negev it comes 1 passing through from the wilderness, from a terrible land. 1
2A distressing vision has been given to me: 1 the treacherous man deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. 1 Go up and attack, Elam; besiege, Media; 1 I will stop all her groaning. 1
3Therefore my loins are filled with pain; 1 pains like the pains of a woman in labor have taken hold of me; 1 I am bowed down by what I heard; I am disturbed by what I saw. 1
4My heart pounds; I shake with fear. 1 Twilight was my desire, but it brought me terror. 1
5They prepare the table, they spread rugs and eat and drink; 1 arise, princes, anoint your shields with oil. 1
6For this is what the Lord said to me, 1 “Go, post a watchman; he must report what he sees. 1
7When he sees a chariot, a pair of horsemen, 1 riders on donkeys, and riders on camels, 1 then he must pay attention and be very alert.” 1
8The watchman cries out, + 21:8 Instead of The watchman cries out , some older versions have A lion cries out . 1 “Lord, on the watchtower I stand all day, every day, 1 and at my post I stand all night long.” 1
9Here comes a chariot with a man and a pair of horsemen. 1 He calls out, “Babylon has fallen, fallen, 1 and all the carved figures of its gods are broken to the ground.” 1
10My threshed and winnowed ones, children of my threshing floor! 1 What I have heard from Yahweh of hosts, 1 the God of Israel, I have declared to you. 1
11A declaration about Dumah. 1 One calls to me from Seir, 1 “Watchman, what is left of the night? 1 Watchman, what is left of the night?” 1
12The watchman said, “The morning comes and also the night. 1 If you want to ask, then ask; and come back again.” 1
13A declaration about Arabia. 1 In the wilderness of Arabia you spend the night, you caravans of Dedanites. 1
14Bring water for the thirsty; 1 inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet the fugitives with bread. 1
15For they have fled from the sword, from the drawn sword, 1 from the bent bow, and from the weight of war.
16For this is what the Lord said to me, “Within a year, as a laborer hired for a year would see it, all the glory of Kedar will end.
17Only a few of the archers, the warriors of Kedar will remain,” for Yahweh, the God of Israel, has spoken.