Isaiah 21
Revised Geneva Translation
21 The burden of the Desert Sea. As the whirlwinds in the South used to pass from the wilderness, so shall it come from the horrible land.
2 A grievous vision was shown to me: “The treacherous deal treacherously and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam. Besiege Media. I have caused all its mourning to cease.”
3 Therefore, my loins are filled with sorrow. Sorrows have taken me, as the sorrows of a woman in childbirth. I was bowed down when I heard it. I was amazed when I saw it.
4 My heart failed. Fearfulness troubled me. He has turned the night of my pleasures into fear for me.
5 Prepare the table. Watch in the watchtower. Eat. Drink. Arise, you princes. Anoint the shield.
6 For thus has the LORD said to me, “Go. Set a watchman to tell what he sees.”
7 And he saw a chariot with two horsemen, a chariot of a donkey and a chariot of a camel. And he listened and took great care.
8 And he cried like a lion, “My lord! I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime. And I am set in my watch every night!
9 “And behold, this man’s chariot comes with two horsemen.” And he answered and said, “Babel has fallen! It has fallen! And He has broken all the images of its gods to the ground!”
10 O, my threshing, and the grain of my floor! That which I have heard from the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, I have shown to you.
11 The burden of Dumah. It calls to me out of Seir, “Watchman, what was in the night? Watchman, what was in the night?”
12 The watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will, (as he) inquire. Return and come!”
13 The burden against Arabia. In the forest of Arabia you shall stay the night, you caravans of Dedanites.
14 O inhabitants of the land of Tema, bring forth water to meet the thirsty. Meet him who flees with bread.
15 For they flee from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
16 For thus has the LORD said to me, “Within a year (according to the years of a hireling), all the glory of Kedar shall fail.
17 “And the residue of the number of the strong archers of the sons of Kedar shall be few. For the LORD God of Israel has spoken it.”
Isaiah 21
New King James Version
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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 My heart wavered, fearfulness frightened me;
(F)The night for which I longed He turned into fear for me.
5 (G)Prepare the table,
Set a watchman in the tower,
Eat and drink.
Arise, you princes,
Anoint the shield!
6 For thus has the Lord said to me:
“Go, set a watchman,
Let him declare what he sees.”
7 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.
8 [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.
9 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
- Isaiah 21:1 oracle, prophecy
- Isaiah 21:3 Lit. bowed
- Isaiah 21:8 DSS Then the observer cried, “My Lord!
- Isaiah 21:11 oracle, prophecy
- Isaiah 21:13 oracle, prophecy
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
