Isaiah 21
JPS Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society, 1917)
Douay-Rheims Bible, American Edition (1899)
1The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweeping on, it cometh from the wilderness, from a dreadful land.
1The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds come from the south, it cometh from the desert from a terrible land.
2A 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.'
2A grievous vision is told me: he that is unfaithful dealeth unfaithfully: and he that is a spoiler, spoileth. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Mede: I have made all the mourning thereof to cease.
3Therefore are my loins filled with convulsion; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail; I am bent so that I cannot hear; I am affrighted so that I cannot see.
3Therefore are my loins filled with pain, anguish hath taken hold of me, as the anguish of a woman in labour: I fell down at the hearing of it, I was troubled at the seeing of it.
4My heart is bewildered, terror hath overwhelmed me; the twilight that I longed for hath been turned for me into trembling.
4My heart failed, darkness amazed me: Babylon my beloved is become a wonder to me.
5They prepare the table, they light the lamps, they eat, they drink — 'Rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield.'
5Prepare the table, behold in the watchtower them that eat and drink: arise, ye princes, take up the shield.
6For thus hath the Lord said unto me: Go, set a watchman; let him declare what he seeth!
6For thus hath the Lord said to me: Go, and set a watchman: and whatsoever he shall see, let him tell.
7And when he seeth a troop, horsemen by pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.
7And he saw a chariot with two horsemen, a rider upon an ass, and a rider upon a camel: and he beheld them diligently with much heed.
8And he cried as a lion: 'Upon the watch-tower, O Lord, I stand continually in the daytime, and I am set in my ward all the nights.'
8And a lion cried out: I am upon the watchtower of the Lord, standing continually by day: and I am upon my ward, standing whole nights.
9And, behold, there came a troop of men, horsemen by pairs. And he spoke and said: 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.'
9Behold this man cometh, the rider upon the chariot with two horsemen, and he answered, and said: Babylon is fallen, she is fallen, and all the graven gods thereof are broken unto the ground.
10O thou my threshing, and the winnowing of my floor, that which I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.
10O my thrashing and the children of my door, that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared unto you.
11The burden of Dumah. One calleth unto me out of Seir: 'Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?'
11The burden of Duma calleth to me out of Seir: Watchman, what of the eight? watchman, what of the night?
12The watchman said: 'The morning cometh, and also the night — if ye will inquire, inquire ye; return, come.'
12The watchman said: The morning cometh, also the night: if you seek, seek: return, come.
13The burden upon Arabia. In the thickets in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanites.
13The burden in Arabia. In the forest at evening you shall sleep, in the paths of Dedanim.
14Unto him that is thirsty bring ye water! The inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitive with his bread.
14Meeting the thirsty bring him water, you that inhabit the land of the south, meet with bread him that fleeth.
15For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
15For they are fled from before the swords, from the sword that hung over them, from the bent bow, from the face of a grievous battle.
16For thus hath the Lord said unto me: 'Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail;
16For thus saith the Lord to me: Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Cedar shall be taken away.
17and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished; for the LORD, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.'
17And the residue of the number of strong archers of the children of Cedar shall be diminished: for the Lord the God of Israel hath spoken it.
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