Isaiah 21
International Standard Version
Elam and Media are Rebuked
21 A message[a] concerning the pasture[b] by the Sea.
“Like whirlwinds in the Negev[c] sweep on,
it comes from the desert,
from a distant[d] land.
2 A dire vision has been announced to me:
the traitor betrays,
and the plunderer takes loot.
Get up, Elam!
Attack, Media!
I am putting a stop
to all the groaning she has caused.
3 Therefore my body is[e] racked with pain;
pangs have seized me,
like the pangs of a woman in labor;
I am so upset that I cannot hear;
I am so frightened that I cannot see
while I’m reeling around.[f]
4 And as for my heart,[g] horror has terrified me;
the twilight I longed for
has started to make me tremble.
5 They set the tables;
they spread the carpets;[h]
they eat, they drink!
Get up, you officers!
Oil the shields!”
The Fall of Babylon
6 For this is what the Lord told me:
“Go post a lookout.
Have him report what he sees.
7 When he sees chariots, each man[i] with a pair of horses,
riders on donkeys or riders on[j] camels,
let him pay attention,
full attention.”
8 Then the lookout[k] shouted:
“Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord,
continually by day,
and I am stationed at my post
throughout the night.
9 Look! Here come riders,[l]
each man with a pair of horses!”
They’re shouting out the answer:
“Babylon has fallen, has fallen,
and they have shattered
all the images of her gods[m] on the ground!
10 O my downtrodden people,[n] my wall![o]
I’ll tell you what I have heard
from the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel.”
A Message about Dumah
11 A message[p] concerning Dumah.
“Someone is calling to me from Seir:
‘Watchman, what is left of the night?[q]
Watchman, what is left of the night?’[r]
12 The watchman replies:
‘Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you want to ask, then ask;
come back again.’”
A Message about Arabia
13 A message[s] concerning Arabia.
“You will camp in the thickets in Arabia,
you caravans of the Dedanites.
14 Bring water for the thirsty,
you who live in the land of Tema.
Meet the fugitive with bread,[t]
15 For he has fled[u] from swords,
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow,
and from the heat of battle.”
16 For this is what the Lord[v] is saying to me: “Within three years,[w] according to the years of a contract worker,[x] the pomp[y] of Kedar will come to an end. 17 And there will be few archers, those who are descendants of Kedar, who survive, because the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 21:1 Lit. An oracle
- Isaiah 21:1 Or plague; cf. Isa 5:17; 1King 8:37; Jer 14:12; MT LXX read wilderness
- Isaiah 21:1 I.e. southern region of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
- Isaiah 21:1 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsaa corrector MT LXX read terrible
- Isaiah 21:3 Or waist; lit. my hips and lower back are
- Isaiah 21:3 So 1QIsaa 4QIsaa; MT LXX begin v. 4 with this line
- Isaiah 21:4 So 1QIsaa 4QIsaa; MT LXX read 4 My mind reels
- Isaiah 21:5 So 1QIsaa MT; LXX lacks this line
- Isaiah 21:7 So 1QIsaa 4QIsaa; cf. v. 9; MT LXX lack each man
- Isaiah 21:7 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads train of donkeys or train of
- Isaiah 21:8 So 1QIsaa Syr; MT reads Then a lion
- Isaiah 21:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads chariot; cf. v. 7
- Isaiah 21:9 So 1QIsaa; LXX reads all the images of her gods are shattered; MT reads He has shattered all the images of her gods
- Isaiah 21:10 1QIsaa lacks people
- Isaiah 21:10 So 1QIsaa; MT reads my threshing floor
- Isaiah 21:11 Lit. An oracle
- Isaiah 21:11 Or What time of night?
- Isaiah 21:11 Or What time of night?
- Isaiah 21:13 Lit. An oracle
- Isaiah 21:14 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads with his bread; 4QIsaa reads and with his bread
- Isaiah 21:15 So 1QIsaa; MT reads they have fled
- Isaiah 21:16 So 1QIsaa 4QIsaa; MT reads Lord
- Isaiah 21:16 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read Within a year
- Isaiah 21:16 I.e. as if carefully counted pursuant to an employment contract; cf. Isa 16:14
- Isaiah 21:16 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads years, all the pomp
Isaiah 21
Tree of Life Version
Watchman, Pay Attention!
21 The burden of the desert by the sea:
As windstorms sweep over the South,
so it comes from the desert,
a terrifying land.
2 A harsh vision has been shown to me:
“The traitor betrays, and the plunderer plunders.
Go up, Elam! Besiege, Media!
I have put an end to all her groaning.”
3 Therefore my body is filled with pain.
Pangs have taken hold of me like the pangs of a woman in labor.
I am bewildered by what I hear,
terrified by what I see.
4 My heart is bewildered,
terror overwhelms me.
The twilight I longed for
has been turned into trembling.
5 Set the table, spread out the cloth!
Eat! Drink!
“Rise up, you princes, oil the shield!”
6 For Adonai has said to me.
“Go, post a watchman—
let him declare what he sees!
7 When he sees a chariot
with a pair of horsemen,
riders on donkeys,
riders on camels,
let him pay attention—
very close attention!”
8 Then he cried out like a lion:
“Upon the watch tower, Adonai, I stand continually in the daytime,
and stay at my post every night.
9 Look! Here comes a chariot of men,
with a pair of horsemen.”
Then one answered and said,
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon!
All the images of her gods
are broken on the ground.”
10 O my people, crushed on the threshing floor,
what I heard from Adonai Tzva’ot, God of Israel,
I have declared to you.
11 The burden of Dumah[a]:
One calls to me from Seir,
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12 The watchman said,
“Morning comes, yet also it is night.”
If you would inquire, inquire.
Come back again.”
13 The burden of Arabia:
In the desert brush of Arabia you will stay for the night,
you caravans of Dedanites.
14 To him who is thirsty bring water,
inhabitants of the land of Tema,
meet the fugitive with food.
15 For they fled from swords,
from drawn sword,
from bent bow
and distress of war.
16 For thus Adonai said to me, “Within a year (as with the years of a hired worker), all the glory of Kedar will cease, 17 and the remainder of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few. For Adonai God of Israel has spoken.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 21:11 Meaning, silence.
Isaiah 21
King James Version
21 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 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 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 panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.
5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.
6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
7 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, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:
9 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 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.
11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
12 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 shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.
14 The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.
15 For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
16 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 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.
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Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.