Isaiah 21

Isaiah 21 – New International Version (NIV)

A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.
A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.
At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see.
My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.
They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields!
This is what the Lord says to me: “Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees.
When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert.”
And the lookout^[a] 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 with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!’”
My people who are crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the Lord Almighty, from the God of Israel.

A prophecy against Dumah^[b]: Someone calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?”
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: You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
bring water for the thirsty; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives.
They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle.
This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end.
The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.

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

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.
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.

The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.

The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.
The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.
For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
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:
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.