Isaiah 21
Babylon Is Fallen
1The burden of the wilderness the Sea: Like whirlwinds in the Negev passing through, it comes from the wilderness, from a fearsome land.
2A harsh vision is declared to me: “The treacherous one deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All her sighing I have made cease.”
3Upon thus my loins are filled with pain; pangs have taken hold of me like the pangs of one giving birth. I am writhing from hearing; I am disturbed from seeing.
4My heart staggers, a shuddering terrifies me; the twilight of my desire has been set for me into fear,
5to arrange the table and lay out the spread, to eat, to drink. Rise up, O princes, and anoint the shield!
6For thus the Lord has said to me: “Go, station the one keeping watch and let him declare what he sees.
7And he sees a chariot with a pair of horses, the rider of a donkey, and the rider of a camel, and he will be attentive, with great attention.”
8And the lookout called out: “Upon the watchtower, my Lord, I stand continually by day, and at my post I take my stand every night.
9And behold this, the chariot of a man is coming, with a pair of horses.” And he answered and said, “Fallen, Babylon has fallen! And all the images of her gods He has broken to the ground!”
10O my threshing, and the son of my threshing floor, that which I have heard from YHWH of Hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you!
The Burden against Edom
11The burden of Dumah: To me one is calling from Seir: “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?”
12The watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you would inquire, then inquire; return, come.”
The Burden against Arabia
13The burden upon Arabia: In the thicket you lodge in Arabia, O caravans of Dedanites,
14to meet the thirsty one. Bring water, O dwellers of the land of Tema, with his bread meet the one fleeing.
15For they do flee from the face of swords, from the sword drawn, and from the bow bent, and from the weight of war.
16For thus says the Lord to me: “Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, then will end all the glory of Kedar.17And the remnant of the number of archers, the mighty ones of the sons of Kedar, will be few.” For YHWH, the God of Israel, has spoken.