Isaiah 21
1 The Vision of the Desert.
As though a whirlwind should pass through the desert, coming from a desert,
even from such a land,
2 so a
fearful and a grievous vision was declared to me: he that is treacherous deals
treacherously, the transgressor transgresses. The Elamites are upon me, and
the ambassadors of the Persians come against me: now will I groan and comfort
myself. 3 Therefore are my loins
filled with feebleness, and pangs have seized me as a travailing woman: I
dealt wrongfully that I might not hear; I hasted that I might not see.
4 My heart wanders, and transgression
aLit. baptizes.overwhelms me; my soul is occupied with fear.
5 Prepare the table, eat, drink:
arise, ye princes, and prepare your shields.
6 For thus said the Lord to me, Go and
station a watchman for thyself, and declare whatever thou shalt see.
7 And I saw two mounted horsemen, and
a rider on an ass, and a rider on a camel.
8 Hearken with great attention, and
call thou Urias to the watch-tower: the Lord has spoken. I stood continually
during the day, and I stood in the camp all the night:
9 and, behold, he comes riding in a
chariot and pair: and he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and
all her images and her idols have been crushed to the ground.
10 Hear, ye that are left, and ye
that are in pain, hear what things I have heard of the Lord of hosts
which the God of Israel has declared to us.
11 The Vision of Idumea.
Call to me out of Seir; guard ye the bulwarks.
12 I watch in the morning and the
night: if thou wouldest enquire, enquire, and dwell by me.
13 Thou mayest lodge in the forest
bHeb. of Arabia.in the evening, or in the way of Dædan.
14 Ye that dwell in the country of
Thæman, bring water to meet him that is thirsty;
15 meet the fugitives with bread,
because of the multitude of the slain, and because of the multitude of them
that lose their way, and because of the multitude of swords, and because of
the multitude of bent bows, and because of the multitude of them that have
fallen in war. 16 For thus said the
Lord to me, Yet a year, as the year of an hireling,
and the glory of the sons of Kedar shall fail:
17 and the remnant of the strong bows
of the sons of Kedar shall be small: for the Lord God of Israel has spoken
it.