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Isaiah 21

The word about the desert by the sea. Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negev, it comes from the desert, from a terrible land. A hard vision has been shown to me. The traitor betrays and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam. Lay siege, Media. I'm putting an end to all the groaning she caused. My whole body is racked with pain. Pangs hav

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The desert by the sea

The word about the desert by the sea. Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negev, it comes from the desert, from a terrible land. A hard vision has been shown to me. The traitor betrays and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam. Lay siege, Media. I'm putting an end to all the groaning she caused. My whole body is racked with pain. Pangs have taken hold of me like the pains of a woman in labour. I am doubled over by what I hear and shaken by what I see. My heart staggers. Terror has me shaking. The twilight I was longing for has been turned into terror for me. They set the table. They spread the rugs. They eat and drink. Rise, you officers. Oil the shields. Because this is what the LORD said to me: Go and post a lookout, and let him report what he sees. And when he sees a column of horsemen in pairs, a column of donkeys, a column of camels — let him listen hard, really hard. And he cried out, ‘My lord, I stand on the watchtower all day long, and I stay at my post through the night.’ And look: here comes a chariot of men with a couple of horsemen. And he answered, ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the carved idols of her gods are broken to the ground.’ My threshed people, my crop from the threshing floor — what I've heard from the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, is what I've told you.

The word about the desert by the sea. Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negev, it comes from the desert, from a terrible land. A hard vision has been shown to me. The traitor betrays and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam. Lay siege, Media. I'm putting an end to all the groaning she caused. So my back is racked with pain. Pains have gripped me like the pains of a woman in labour. I'm too twisted to hear, too shaken to see. My heart staggers. Terror has me shaking. The twilight I was longing for has been turned into terror for me. They set the table. They spread the rugs. They eat and drink. Get up, you officers. Oil the shields. Because this is what the Lord said to me: Go and post a lookout, and let him report what he sees. And when he sees a column of horsemen in pairs, a column of donkeys, a column of camels — let him listen hard, really hard. And the lookout called out: My lord, I'm standing on the watchtower all day long, and I stay at my post every night. And look at this — here comes a column of men, horsemen in pairs. And he called back: Babylon has fallen, has fallen, and all the carved images of her gods are smashed on the ground. My threshed people, my crop from the threshing floor — what I've heard from the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, is what I've told you.

The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land. A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it. My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed: And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights: And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

1

The word about the desert by the sea. Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negev, it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.

King James Version, 1611

The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.

2

A hard vision has been shown to me. The traitor betrays and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam. Lay siege, Media. I'm putting an end to all the groaning she caused.

King James Version, 1611

A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

3

My whole body is racked with pain. Pangs have taken hold of me like the pains of a woman in labour. I am doubled over by what I hear and shaken by what I see.

Plain English

So my back is racked with pain. Pains have gripped me like the pains of a woman in labour. I'm too twisted to hear, too shaken to see.

King James Version, 1611

Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

4

My heart staggers. Terror has me shaking. The twilight I was longing for has been turned into terror for me.

King James Version, 1611

My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

5

They set the table. They spread the rugs. They eat and drink. Rise, you officers. Oil the shields.

Plain English

They set the table. They spread the rugs. They eat and drink. Get up, you officers. Oil the shields.

King James Version, 1611

Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

6

Because this is what the LORD said to me: Go and post a lookout, and let him report what he sees.

Plain English

Because this is what the Lord said to me: Go and post a lookout, and let him report what he sees.

King James Version, 1611

For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

7

And when he sees a column of horsemen in pairs, a column of donkeys, a column of camels — let him listen hard, really hard.

King James Version, 1611

And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:

8

And he cried out, ‘My lord, I stand on the watchtower all day long, and I stay at my post through the night.’

Plain English

And the lookout called out: My lord, I'm standing on the watchtower all day long, and I stay at my post every night.

King James Version, 1611

And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:

9

And look: here comes a chariot of men with a couple of horsemen. And he answered, ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the carved idols of her gods are broken to the ground.’

Plain English

And look at this — here comes a column of men, horsemen in pairs. And he called back: Babylon has fallen, has fallen, and all the carved images of her gods are smashed on the ground.

King James Version, 1611

And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

10

My threshed people, my crop from the threshing floor — what I've heard from the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, is what I've told you.

Plain English

My threshed people, my crop from the threshing floor — what I've heard from the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, is what I've told you.

King James Version, 1611

O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

Dumah and Arabia

The word about Dumah. Someone calls to me from Seir: Watchman, how much of the night is left? Watchman, how much of the night? The watchman says: Morning comes, and also the night. If you want to ask, ask. Come back again. The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia you'll lodge, O travelling companies of Dedanim. Bring water out to the thirsty, you people who live in Tema. Meet the fugitive with bread. Because they're running from the swords — from the drawn sword and the bent bow and the weight of the battle. For this is what the Lord said to me: ‘Within a year, counted as the years of a hired man, all the glory of Kedar will fail.’ And the survivors of the archers, the mighty men of Kedar, will be few. The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.

The word about Dumah. Someone calls to me from Seir: Watchman, how much of the night is left? Watchman, how much of the night? The watchman says: Morning comes, and also the night. If you want to ask, ask. Come back again. The word about Arabia. You'll camp for the night in the scrub of Arabia, you caravans of Dedanites. Bring water out to the thirsty, you people who live in Tema. Meet the fugitive with bread. Because they're running from the swords — from the drawn sword and the bent bow and the weight of the battle. Because this is what the Lord said to me: Within a year, counted like a hired man counts it, all the glory of Kedar will be finished. And what's left of the archers, the fighting men of Kedar, will be few. The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.

The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come. The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim. The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled. For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail: And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.

11

The word about Dumah. Someone calls to me from Seir: Watchman, how much of the night is left? Watchman, how much of the night?

King James Version, 1611

The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?

12

The watchman says: Morning comes, and also the night. If you want to ask, ask. Come back again.

King James Version, 1611

The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.

13

The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia you'll lodge, O travelling companies of Dedanim.

Plain English

The word about Arabia. You'll camp for the night in the scrub of Arabia, you caravans of Dedanites.

King James Version, 1611

The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.

14

Bring water out to the thirsty, you people who live in Tema. Meet the fugitive with bread.

King James Version, 1611

The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.

15

Because they're running from the swords — from the drawn sword and the bent bow and the weight of the battle.

King James Version, 1611

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

16

For this is what the Lord said to me: ‘Within a year, counted as the years of a hired man, all the glory of Kedar will fail.’

Plain English

Because this is what the Lord said to me: Within a year, counted like a hired man counts it, all the glory of Kedar will be finished.

King James Version, 1611

For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:

17

And the survivors of the archers, the mighty men of Kedar, will be few. The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.

Plain English

And what's left of the archers, the fighting men of Kedar, will be few. The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.

King James Version, 1611

And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.