Isaiah 21

Wycliffe Bible

21 The burden of the forsaken (of the) sea. As whirlwinds come from the southwest, it cometh from [the] desert, from the horrible land. (The burden of the Sea of the Wilderness. Like whirlwinds come from the southwest, it cometh from the wilderness, from the horrible land.)

² An hard revelation is told to me; he that is unfaithful, doeth unfaithfully; and he that is a destroyer, destroyeth. Thou Elam, go up, and thou Media, beseech (O Elam, ascend, and O Media, besiege); I made all the wailing thereof for to cease.

³ Therefore my loins be filled with sorrow; anguish wielded me, as the anguish of a woman travailing of child; I fell down, when I heard; I was troubled, when I saw. (And so my limbs be filled with sorrow; anguish held me, like the anguish of a woman labouring with child; I fell down, when I heard; I was troubled, when I saw.)

⁴ Mine heart faded, darknesses astonied me; Babylon, my darling, is set to me into (a) miracle. (My heart faded, the darkness astonished me; the night that I longed for, now hath become what I fear.)

⁵ Set thou a board, behold thou into a looking place; rise, ye princes, eating and drinking, take ye [the] shield. (Set thou the table, look thou out from the lookout; rise up, ye leaders, from eating and drinking, and take ye up thy shields.)

⁶ For why the Lord said these things to me, Go thou, and set a looker; and tell he, whatever thing he seeth. (For the Lord said to me, Go thou, and set a lookout; and let him tell thee, whatever he seeth.)

⁷ And he saw the chariot of two horsemen, the rider of an ass (the rider of a donkey), and the rider of a camel; and he beheld diligently with much looking,

⁸ and [he] cried as a lion, I stand continually by day on the looking place of the Lord, and I stand by all nights on my keeping. (and he cried out like a lion, and said, I stand continually by day at the lookout of the Lord, and I stand by all nights, or every night, at my station.)

⁹ Lo! this cometh, a man-rider of a cart of horsemen. And Isaiah cried, and said, Babylon fell down, fell down; and all the graven images of gods thereof be all-broken into [the] earth. (Lo! here come some men, horsemen riding in a chariot. And Isaiah cried, and said, Babylon fell down, fell down; and all the carved idols of its gods lie broken in pieces on the ground.)

¹⁰ My threshing, and the daughter of my cornfloor (My threshing, and the daughter of my threshing floor), I have told to you what things I heard of the Lord of hosts, of (the) God of Israel.

¹¹ The burden of Dumah. It crieth from Seir to me, Keeper, what hour of the night? keeper, what hour of the night? (The burden of Dumah. He calleth out to me from Seir, Watchman, what hour is it? watchman, what time is it?)

¹² The keeper said, The morrowtide cometh, and night; if ye seek, seek ye, and be ye converted, and come ye. (And I the watchman answered, The morning cometh, and then the night; if ye need to seek, then seek ye, and then come ye back again.)

¹³ The burden of Arabia. In the forest at eventide ye shall sleep, in the paths of Dedanim. (The burden of Arabia. Ye shall sleep in the Arabian forest, ye travelling peoples of Dedan.)

¹⁴ Ye that dwell in the land of the south, run, and bear water to the thirsty; and run ye with loaves to him that fleeth. (Ye who live in the land of Tema, run, and carry water to the thirsty; and run ye with loaves to him who fleeth away.)

¹⁵ For they fled from the face of swords, from the face of [the] sword nighing, from the face of [the] bow bent, from the face of [the] grievous battle.

¹⁶ For the Lord saith these things to me, Yet in one year, as in the year of an hired man, and all the glory of Kedar shall be taken away.

¹⁷ And the remnants of the number of strong archers of the sons of Kedar shall be made less; for why the Lord God of Israel spake (for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken).