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Isaiah 21
Young's Literal Translation
Isaiah 21
Young's Literal Translation
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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 Wandered hath my heart, trembling hath terrified me, The twilight of my desire He hath made a fear to me,
5 Arrange the table, watch in the watch-tower, Eat, drink, rise, ye heads, anoint the shield,
6 For thus said the Lord unto me: `Go, station the watchman, That which he seeth let him declare.'
7 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!
8 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.
9 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!'
Isaiah 21
English Standard Version
Isaiah 21
English Standard Version
Fallen, Fallen Is Babylon
21 The (A)oracle concerning the wilderness of (B)the sea.
(C)As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on,
it comes from the wilderness,
from a terrible land.
2 A stern vision is told to me;
(D)the traitor betrays,
and the destroyer destroys.
Go up, O (E)Elam;
lay siege, O (F)Media;
all the (G)sighing she has caused
I bring to an end.
3 Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;
(H)pangs have seized me,
like the pangs of a woman in labor;
I am bowed down so that I cannot hear;
I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
4 My heart staggers; horror has appalled me;
(I)the twilight I longed for
has been turned for me into trembling.
5 (J)They prepare the table,
they spread the rugs,[a]
they eat, they drink.
Arise, O princes;
(K)oil the shield!
6 For thus the Lord said to me:
“Go, set a watchman;
let him announce what he sees.
7 When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs,
riders on donkeys, riders on camels,
let him listen diligently,
very diligently.”
8 Then he who saw cried out:[b]
(L)“Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord,
continually by day,
and at my post I am stationed
whole nights.
9 And behold, here come riders,
horsemen in pairs!”
(M)And he answered,
(N)“Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
(O)and all the carved images of her gods
he has shattered to the ground.”
10 O (P)my threshed and winnowed one,
what I have heard from the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel, I announce to you.
11 The (Q)oracle concerning (R)Dumah.
One is calling to me from (S)Seir,
“Watchman, what time of the night?
Watchman, what time of the night?”
12 The watchman says:
“Morning comes, and also (T)the night.
If you will inquire, (U)inquire;
come back again.”
13 The (V)oracle concerning (W)Arabia.
In the thickets in (X)Arabia you will lodge,
O (Y)caravans of (Z)Dedanites.
14 To the thirsty bring water;
meet the fugitive with bread,
O inhabitants of the land of (AA)Tema.
15 For they have fled from the swords,
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow,
and from the press of battle.
16 For thus the Lord said to me, “Within a year, (AB)according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of (AC)Kedar will come to an end. 17 And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of (AD)Kedar will be few, (AE)for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 21:5 Or they set the watchman
- Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scroll, Syriac; Masoretic Text Then a lion cried out, or Then he cried out like a lion
Isaiah 21
King James Version
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.
Isaia 21
Nuova Riveduta 2006
Isaia 21
Nuova Riveduta 2006
La caduta di Babilonia
21 (A)Oracolo contro il deserto marittimo[a]. Come gli uragani, quando si scatenano, nella regione meridionale, egli[b] viene dal deserto, da un paese spaventoso.
2 Una visione terribile mi è stata data: il perfido agisce con perfidia, il devastatore devasta. Sali, Elam! Metti l’assedio, Media! Io faccio cessare ogni gemito.
3 Perciò i miei fianchi sono pieni di dolori; delle doglie mi hanno colto, come le doglie di una partoriente. Io mi contorco per quello che sento, sono spaventato da ciò che vedo.
4 Il mio cuore si smarrisce, il terrore s’impossessa di me; la sera, alla quale anelavo, è diventata per me uno spavento.
5 Si prepara la mensa, vegliano le guardie[c], si mangia, si beve. In piedi, o capi! Ungete lo scudo!
6 Poiché così mi ha parlato il Signore: «Va’, metti una sentinella; che essa annunci quanto vedrà!
7 Vedrà carri, cavalieri a due a due, truppa a dorso d’asini, truppa a dorso di cammelli; osservi, osservi attentamente».
8 Poi la vedetta[d] gridò: «Signore, di giorno io sto sempre sulla torre di vedetta e tutte le notti sono in piedi nel mio posto di guardia.
9 Ed ecco venire un carro con un uomo e due cavalli. Quello gridava: “Caduta, caduta è Babilonia[e]! E tutte le immagini scolpite dei suoi dèi sono frantumate al suolo”».
10 Popolo mio, che sei trebbiato come il grano della mia aia, ciò che ho udito dal Signore degli eserciti, dal Dio d’Israele, io te l’ho annunciato!
Profezia contro Edom e l’Arabia
11 (B)Oracolo contro Duma. Mi si grida da Seir: «Sentinella, a che punto è la notte? Sentinella, a che punto è la notte?»
12 La sentinella risponde: «Viene la mattina, e viene anche la notte. Se volete interrogare, interrogate pure; tornate un’altra volta».
13 Oracolo contro l’Arabia. Passerete la notte nelle foreste, in Arabia, o carovane dei Dedaniti!
14 Venite incontro all’assetato con acqua, o abitanti del paese di Tema; portate pane ai fuggiaschi.
15 Poiché essi fuggono davanti alle spade, davanti alla spada sguainata, davanti all’arco teso, davanti al furore della battaglia.
16 Poiché così mi ha parlato il Signore: «Fra un anno, contato come quello di un operaio, tutta la gloria di Chedar sarà svanita;
17 ciò che resterà del numero dei valorosi arcieri di Chedar sarà poca cosa»; poiché il Signore, Dio d’Israele, l’ha detto.
Footnotes
- Isaia 21:1 Il deserto marittimo: definizione di Babilonia, situata su una vasta pianura e circondata dalle acque dell’Eufrate.
- Isaia 21:1 Egli, cioè il nemico.
- Isaia 21:5 Vegliano le guardie, altri traducono: si stendono i tappeti.
- Isaia 21:8 Vedetta, lett. colui che guarda; così Qumran, mentre il testo masoretico ha leone.
- Isaia 21:9 +Ap 14:8; 18:2.
Isaiah 21
New International Version
Isaiah 21
New International Version
A Prophecy Against Babylon
21 A prophecy(A) against the Desert(B) by the Sea:
Like whirlwinds(C) sweeping through the southland,(D)
an invader comes from the desert,
from a land of terror.
2 A dire(E) vision has been shown to me:
The traitor betrays,(F) the looter takes loot.
Elam,(G) attack! Media,(H) lay siege!
I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.
3 At this my body is racked with pain,(I)
pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;(J)
I am staggered by what I hear,
I am bewildered(K) by what I see.
4 My heart(L) falters,
fear makes me tremble;(M)
the twilight I longed for
has become a horror(N) to me.
5 They set the tables,
they spread the rugs,
they eat, they drink!(O)
Get up, you officers,
oil the shields!(P)
6 This is what the Lord says to me:
“Go, post a lookout(Q)
and have him report what he sees.
7 When he sees chariots(R)
with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
or riders on camels,(S)
let him be alert,
fully alert.”
8 And the lookout[a](T) shouted,
“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
every night I stay at my post.
9 Look, here comes a man in a chariot(U)
with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
‘Babylon(V) has fallen,(W) has fallen!
All the images of its gods(X)
lie shattered(Y) on the ground!’”
10 My people who are crushed on the threshing floor,(Z)
I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord Almighty,
from the God of Israel.
A Prophecy Against Edom
11 A prophecy against Dumah[b]:(AA)
Someone calls to me from Seir,(AB)
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you would ask, then ask;
and come back yet again.”
A Prophecy Against Arabia
13 A prophecy(AC) against Arabia:(AD)
You caravans of Dedanites,(AE)
who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
14 bring water for the thirsty;
you who live in Tema,(AF)
bring food for the fugitives.
15 They flee(AG) from the sword,(AH)
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow
and from the heat of battle.
16 This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract(AI) would count it, all the splendor(AJ) of Kedar(AK) will come to an end. 17 The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.(AL)” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.(AM)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac; Masoretic Text A lion
- Isaiah 21:11 Dumah, a wordplay on Edom, means silence or stillness.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Nuova Riveduta 2006 (NR2006)
Copyright © 2006 Società Biblica di Ginevra
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.