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The Fall of Babylon Proclaimed

21 The [a]burden against the Wilderness of the Sea.

As (A)whirlwinds in the South pass through,
So it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.
A distressing vision is declared to me;
(B)The treacherous dealer deals treacherously,
And the plunderer plunders.
(C)Go up, O Elam!
Besiege, O Media!
All its sighing I have made to cease.

Therefore (D)my loins are filled with pain;
(E)Pangs have taken hold of me, like the pangs of a woman in labor.
I was [b]distressed when I heard it;
I was dismayed when I saw it.
My heart wavered, fearfulness frightened me;
(F)The night for which I longed He turned into fear for me.
(G)Prepare the table,
Set a watchman in the tower,
Eat and drink.
Arise, you princes,
Anoint the shield!

For thus has the Lord said to me:
“Go, set a watchman,
Let him declare what he sees.”
And he saw a chariot with a pair of horsemen,
A chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels,
And he listened earnestly with great care.
[c]Then he cried, “A lion, my Lord!
I stand continually on the (H)watchtower in the daytime;
I have sat at my post every night.
And look, here comes a chariot of men with a pair of horsemen!”
Then he answered and said,
(I)“Babylon is fallen, is fallen!
And (J)all the carved images of her gods
He has broken to the ground.”

10 (K)Oh, my threshing and the grain of my floor!
That which I have heard from the Lord of hosts,
The God of Israel,
I have declared to you.

Proclamation Against Edom

11 (L)The [d]burden against Dumah.

He calls to me out of (M)Seir,
“Watchman, what of the night?
Watchman, what of the night?”
12 The watchman said,
“The morning comes, and also the night.
If you will inquire, inquire;
Return! Come back!”

Proclamation Against Arabia

13 (N)The [e]burden against Arabia.

In the forest in Arabia you will lodge,
O you traveling companies (O)of Dedanites.
14 O inhabitants of the land of Tema,
Bring water to him who is thirsty;
With their bread they met him who fled.
15 For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword,
From the bent bow, and from the distress of war.

16 For thus the Lord has said to me: “Within a year, (P)according to the year of a hired man, all the glory of (Q)Kedar will fail; 17 and the remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the people of Kedar, will be diminished; for the Lord God of Israel has spoken it.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 21:1 oracle, prophecy
  2. Isaiah 21:3 Lit. bowed
  3. Isaiah 21:8 DSS Then the observer cried, “My Lord!
  4. Isaiah 21:11 oracle, prophecy
  5. Isaiah 21:13 oracle, prophecy

21 מַשָּׂ֖א מִדְבַּר־יָ֑ם כְּסוּפ֤וֹת בַּנֶּ֙גֶב֙ לַֽחֲלֹ֔ף מִמִּדְבָּ֣ר בָּ֔א מֵאֶ֖רֶץ נוֹרָאָֽה׃

חָז֥וּת קָשָׁ֖ה הֻגַּד־לִ֑י הַבּוֹגֵ֤ד׀ בּוֹגֵד֙ וְהַשּׁוֹדֵ֣ד׀ שׁוֹדֵ֔ד עֲלִ֤י עֵילָם֙ צוּרִ֣י מָדַ֔י כָּל־אַנְחָתָ֖ה הִשְׁבַּֽתִּי׃

עַל־כֵּ֗ן מָלְא֤וּ מָתְנַי֙ חַלְחָלָ֔ה צִירִ֣ים אֲחָז֔וּנִי כְּצִירֵ֖י יֽוֹלֵדָ֑ה נַעֲוֵ֣יתִי מִשְּׁמֹ֔עַ נִבְהַ֖לְתִּי מֵרְאֽוֹת׃

תָּעָ֣ה לְבָבִ֔י פַּלָּצ֖וּת בִּֽעֲתָ֑תְנִי אֵ֚ת נֶ֣שֶׁף חִשְׁקִ֔י שָׂ֥ם לִ֖י לַחֲרָדָֽה׃

עָרֹ֧ךְ הַשֻּׁלְחָ֛ן צָפֹ֥ה הַצָּפִ֖ית אָכ֣וֹל שָׁתֹ֑ה ק֥וּמוּ הַשָּׂרִ֖ים מִשְׁח֥וּ מָגֵֽן׃ פ

כִּ֣י כֹ֥ה אָמַ֛ר אֵלַ֖י אֲדֹנָ֑י לֵ֚ךְ הַעֲמֵ֣ד הַֽמְצַפֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִרְאֶ֖ה יַגִּֽיד׃

וְרָ֣אָה רֶ֗כֶב צֶ֚מֶד פָּֽרָשִׁ֔ים רֶ֥כֶב חֲמ֖וֹר רֶ֣כֶב גָּמָ֑ל וְהִקְשִׁ֥יב קֶ֖שֶׁב רַב־קָֽשֶׁב׃

וַיִּקְרָ֖א אַרְיֵ֑ה עַל־מִצְפֶּ֣ה׀ אֲדֹנָ֗י אָנֹכִ֞י עֹמֵ֤ד תָּמִיד֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְעַל־מִ֨שְׁמַרְתִּ֔י אָנֹכִ֥י נִצָּ֖ב כָּל־הַלֵּילֽוֹת׃

וְהִנֵּה־זֶ֥ה בָא֙ רֶ֣כֶב אִ֔ישׁ צֶ֖מֶד פָּֽרָשִׁ֑ים וַיַּ֣עַן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר נָפְלָ֤ה נָֽפְלָה֙ בָּבֶ֔ל וְכָל־פְּסִילֵ֥י אֱלֹהֶ֖יהָ שִׁבַּ֥ר לָאָֽרֶץ׃

10 מְדֻשָׁתִ֖י וּבֶן־גָּרְנִ֑י אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי מֵאֵ֨ת יְהוָ֧ה צְבָא֛וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הִגַּ֥דְתִּי לָכֶֽם׃ ס

11 מַשָּׂ֖א דּוּמָ֑ה אֵלַי֙ קֹרֵ֣א מִשֵּׂעִ֔יר שֹׁמֵר֙ מַה־מִלַּ֔יְלָה שֹׁמֵ֖ר מַה־מִלֵּֽיל׃

12 אָמַ֣ר שֹׁמֵ֔ר אָתָ֥ה בֹ֖קֶר וְגַם־לָ֑יְלָה אִם־תִּבְעָי֥וּן בְּעָ֖יוּ שֻׁ֥בוּ אֵתָֽיוּ׃ ס

13 מַשָּׂ֖א בַּעְרָ֑ב בַּיַּ֤עַר בַּעְרַב֙ תָּלִ֔ינוּ אֹֽרְח֖וֹת דְּדָנִֽים׃

14 לִקְרַ֥את צָמֵ֖א הֵתָ֣יוּ מָ֑יִם יֹשְׁבֵי֙ אֶ֣רֶץ תֵּימָ֔א בְּלַחְמ֖וֹ קִדְּמ֥וּ נֹדֵֽד׃

15 כִּֽי־מִפְּנֵ֥י חֲרָב֖וֹת נָדָ֑דוּ מִפְּנֵ֣י׀ חֶ֣רֶב נְטוּשָׁ֗ה וּמִפְּנֵי֙ קֶ֣שֶׁת דְּרוּכָ֔ה וּמִפְּנֵ֖י כֹּ֥בֶד מִלְחָמָֽה׃ ס

16 כִּי־כֹ֛ה אָמַ֥ר אֲדֹנָ֖י אֵלָ֑י בְּע֤וֹד שָׁנָה֙ כִּשְׁנֵ֣י שָׂכִ֔יר וְכָלָ֖ה כָּל־כְּב֥וֹד קֵדָֽר׃

17 וּשְׁאָ֧ר מִסְפַּר־קֶ֛שֶׁת גִּבּוֹרֵ֥י בְנֵֽי־קֵדָ֖ר יִמְעָ֑טוּ כִּ֛י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל דִּבֵּֽר׃ ס

21 The 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.

A 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.

Therefore filled have been my loins [with] 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.

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

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

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

And 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!

And 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.

And 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.

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

11 The burden of Dumah. Unto me is [one] calling from Seir `Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?'

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

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

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

15 For 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.

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

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

God Commands That Babylon Be Taken

21 The (A)pronouncement concerning the [a](B)wilderness of the sea:

As (C)windstorms in the [b]Negev come in turns,
It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land.
A (D)harsh vision has been shown to me;
The (E)treacherous one still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys.
Go up, (F)Elam, lay siege, Media;
I have put an end to all [c]the groaning she has caused.
For this reason my (G)loins are full of anguish;
Pains have seized me like the pains of a (H)woman in labor.
I am so bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see.
My [d]mind reels, [e]horror overwhelms me;
The twilight I longed for has been (I)turned into trembling for me.
They (J)set the table, they [f]spread out the cloth, they eat, they drink;
“Rise up, captains, oil the shields!”

For this is what the Lord says to me:

“Go, station the lookout, have him (K)report what he sees.
When he sees [g]a (L)column of chariots, horsemen in pairs,
A train of donkeys, a train of camels,
He is to pay close attention, very close attention.”

Then [h]the lookout called,

(M)Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower,
And I am stationed every night at my guard post.
Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs.”
And one said, “(N)Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
And all the (O)images of her gods [i]are shattered on the ground.”
10 My (P)downtrodden people, and my [j]afflicted of the threshing floor!
What I have heard from the Lord of armies,
The God of Israel, I make known to you.

Pronouncements about Edom and Arabia

11 The pronouncement concerning [k](Q)Edom:

One keeps calling to me from (R)Seir,
“Watchman, [l]how far gone is the night?
Watchman, [m]how far gone is the night?”
12 The watchman says,
“Morning comes but also night.
If you would inquire, inquire;
Come back again.”

13 The pronouncement about (S)Arabia:

In the thickets of Arabia you [n]must spend the night,
You caravans of (T)Dedanites.
14 Bring water [o]for the thirsty,
You inhabitants of the land of (U)Tema;
Meet the fugitive with bread.
15 For they have (V)fled from the swords,
From the drawn sword, and from the bent bow,
And from the press of battle.

16 For this is what the Lord said to me: “In a (W)year, as [p]a hired worker would count it, all the splendor of (X)Kedar will come to an end; 17 and the (Y)remainder of the number of bowmen, the warriors of the sons of Kedar, will be few; for the Lord God of Israel (Z)has spoken.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 21:1 Or sandy wastes, sea country
  2. Isaiah 21:1 I.e., South country
  3. Isaiah 21:2 Lit her groaning
  4. Isaiah 21:4 Lit heart has wandered
  5. Isaiah 21:4 Lit shuddering
  6. Isaiah 21:5 Or spread out the rugs or possibly they arranged the seating
  7. Isaiah 21:7 Or riders
  8. Isaiah 21:8 As in DSS; MT he called like a lion
  9. Isaiah 21:9 Lit he has shattered to the earth
  10. Isaiah 21:10 Lit son
  11. Isaiah 21:11 As in LXX; MT Dumah, silence
  12. Isaiah 21:11 Lit what is the time of the night?
  13. Isaiah 21:11 Lit what is the time of the night?
  14. Isaiah 21:13 Or will spend
  15. Isaiah 21:14 Lit to meet
  16. Isaiah 21:16 Lit the years of a hired

关于巴比伦的预言

21 以下是关于海边沙漠[a]的预言:

敌人从可怕的沙漠之地上来,
好像狂风扫过南部的旷野。
我看见一个令人胆战心惊的异象:
“诡诈的在行诡诈,
毁灭的在行毁灭。
以拦人啊,攻打吧!
玛代人啊,围城吧!
耶和华必终止巴比伦带来的痛苦。”
这使我充满痛苦,
我陷入剧痛中,
如同分娩的妇人,
我因听见的话而惊慌,
因看见的景象而害怕。
我心慌意乱,惊惧不堪,
我期盼的黄昏却令我恐惧。
他们摆设宴席,
坐在地毯上又吃又喝。
突然有人大喊:
“官长啊,起来擦亮盾牌,备战吧!”
耶和华对我说:
“你去派人守望,
让他报告所看见的情况。
他看到战车、一对对的骑兵、
驴队和骆驼队的时候,
要提高警惕,密切察看。”
守望的人大喊:
“我主啊,我在瞭望塔上日夜观看。
看啊,战车和一对对的骑兵来了。”
他又接着说:“巴比伦倾倒了!
倾倒了!
她所有的神像都被打碎在地上。”
10 于是,我说:“我的百姓啊!
你们像场上被碾、被筛的谷物,
现在我把从以色列的上帝——万军之耶和华那里听见的都告诉你们了。”

关于以东的预言

11 以下是关于以东的预言。
有人从西珥大声问我:
“守夜的啊,黑夜还有多长?
守夜的啊,黑夜还有多长?”
12 我回答:
“黎明将到,但黑夜会再来。
如果你们还想问,再来问吧。”

关于阿拉伯的预言

13 以下是关于阿拉伯的预言:
成群结队的底但客旅必躲在阿拉伯的荒野过夜。
14 提玛的居民啊,要送水给这些口渴的人,
拿食物给这些逃难的人。
15 他们从敌人的刀光箭影中逃生。

16 耶和华对我说:“如同雇工合约规定的做工年限,一年之内,基达所有的荣耀必消失, 17 勇敢的弓箭手必所剩无几。这是以色列的上帝耶和华说的。”

Footnotes

  1. 21:1 海边沙漠”指巴比伦。