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.

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.

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.

My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

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:

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:

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.

Profecía acerca del desierto junto al mar

21 Profecía acerca del desierto junto al mar:

¡Viene del desierto, de una tierra espeluznante, semejante a un torbellino del Néguev! ¡Dura visión me ha sido mostrada! ¡El traidor es traicionado, y el destructor es destruido! ¡Adelante, Elam! ¡Y tú, Media, pon sitio a la ciudad! ¡Yo acallaré todo su clamor! Por eso me doblo de dolor y me lleno de angustia, como una parturienta; me agobia lo que oigo; me espanta lo que veo. Tengo pasmado el corazón; el miedo me domina; el crepúsculo que tanto amo, ahora me llena de espanto. De pronto, mientras se ponía la mesa y se disponían a comer y beber, los príncipes se levantaron y tomaron sus escudos. Y es que el Señor me dijo:

«Anda, pon un centinela que te informe de todo lo que vea.»

Y el centinela vio hombres montados sobre asnos y sobre camellos, jinetes que venían de dos en dos. Luego miró con más atención, y gritó como un león:

«Señor, yo he estado todo el tiempo en mi puesto de observación; me he pasado las noches enteras vigilando, y he visto acercarse hombres montados, jinetes que venían de dos en dos. Y alguien grita: “¡Cayó Babilonia! ¡Cayó Babilonia!(A) ¡Todos los ídolos de sus dioses han caído por tierra!”»

10 Pueblo mío, que has sido trillado y aventado como trigo: yo te he dado a saber lo que he oído del Señor de los ejércitos, el Dios de Israel.

Profecía acerca de Duma

11 Profecía acerca de Duma.

Desde Seir oigo voces que me dicen: «Guardia, guardia: ¿cuánto falta para que termine la noche? ¿Cuándo amanecerá?» 12 Y el guardia responde: «Ya pronto amanecerá, y pronto caerá la noche. Si quieres, puedes preguntar, y también volver a preguntar.»

Profecía acerca de Arabia

13 Profecía acerca de Arabia.

Ustedes, caminantes de Dedán, pasen la noche en el bosque, en el desierto. 14 Y ustedes, habitantes de Tema, vayan al encuentro del sediento y llévenle agua; socorran con pan al que huye. 15 Porque huye de la espada desnuda, del arco tenso, del fragor de la batalla.

16 Y es que así me ha dicho el Señor:

«Dentro de un año, ni un solo día más, todo el esplendor de Cedar llegará a su fin, 17 y el número de los valientes flecheros de Cedar que sobrevivan será muy reducido.»

Así lo ha dicho el Señor, el Dios de Israel.

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.

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.

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.
My heart(L) falters,
    fear makes me tremble;(M)
the twilight I longed for
    has become a horror(N) to me.

They set the tables,
    they spread the rugs,
    they eat, they drink!(O)
Get up, you officers,
    oil the shields!(P)

This is what the Lord says to me:

“Go, post a lookout(Q)
    and have him report what he sees.
When he sees chariots(R)
    with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
    or riders on camels,(S)
let him be alert,
    fully alert.”

And the lookout[a](T) shouted,

“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
    every night I stay at my post.
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

  1. Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac; Masoretic Text A lion
  2. Isaiah 21:11 Dumah, a wordplay on Edom, means silence or stillness.

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