Isaiah, Chapter 21

1. The burden of the desert of the sea: As tempests in the Negeb pass, it comes from the desert from a terrifying land.    2. A harsh vision is revealed to me; the deceiver deals deceitfully, and the plunderer plunders. Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! I have caused all her sighing to cease.    3. Because of this my loins are filled with pain; pangs have taken hold on me like the pangs of a travailing woman. I am bowed from hearing; I am troubled from seeing.    4. My heart wanders; terror overwhelms me; He has turned the twilight of my pleasure into trembling.    5. Prepare the table; watch in the watchtower; eat, drink; rise up, rulers, and anoint the shield.    6. For so the Lord has said to me: Go, set a watchman; he will declare what he sees.    7. And he sees a chariot, a couple of horsemen; a chariot of an ass; a chariot of a camel; and let him bow attentively, very attentively.    8. And he cried, A lion! My lord, I always stand on my watchtower by day; and I am stationed at my post all the nights.    9. And, behold, here comes a chariot of a man, a pair of horses. And he answered and said, Babylon has fallen, has fallen! And He has smashed the cut images of her gods to the earth.    10. Oh my threshing, and the grain of my floor! That which I have heard of Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, I have told to you.    11. The burden of Dumah: He calls to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?    12. The watchman says, The morning comes, and also night. If you would inquire, inquire. Come! Return!    13. The burden of Arabia: You shall stay in the forest of Arabia, O traveling companies of Dedanites.    14. The people of the land of Tema bring water to him who is thirsty; they went to meet the fugitive with his bread.    15. For they fled from before swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the press of battle.    16. For so the Lord has said to me, Within a year, as the years of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall be ended,    17. and the rest of the number of the archers, the warriors of the sons of Kedar, shall be few. For Jehovah God of Israel has spoken.