American Standard Version (1901)

Isaiah 21

1The 1burden of the wilderness of the sea.

As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it cometh from the wilderness, from a terrible land. 2A 2grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous man dealeth treacherously, and the destroyer destroyeth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof 3have I made to cease. 3Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am 4pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see. 4My heart 5fluttereth, horror hath affrighted me; the twilight that I desired hath been turned into trembling unto me. 5They prepare the table, they 6set the watch, they eat, they drink: rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield. 6For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman; let him declare what he seeth: 77and when he seeth 8a troop, 9horsemen in pairs, 10a troop of asses, 11a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed. 8And he cried as a lion: O Lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the day-time, and am set in my ward 12whole nights; 9and, behold, here 13cometh a troop of men, 14horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.

10O thou my threshing, and the 15grain of my floor! that which I have heard from Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

11The 16burden of Dumah.

One calleth unto me out of Seir, Watchman, 17what of the night? Watchman, 18what of the night? 12The watchman said, The morning 19cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: 20turn ye, come.

13The 21burden upon Arabia.

In the 22forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanites. 14Unto him that 23was thirsty they brought water; 24the inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitives with their bread. 15For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. 16For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall fail; 17and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be few; for Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.

Notes

  1. 21:1Or, oracle concerning↑
  2. 21:2Or, hard↑
  3. 21:2Or, will I make↑
  4. 21:3Hebrew bent.↑
  5. 21:4Hebrew wandereth.↑
  6. 21:5Or, spread the carpets↑
  7. 21:7Or, and he saw . . . and he hearkened↑
  8. 21:7Or, a chariot. Or, chariots↑
  9. 21:7Or, a pair of horsemen↑
  10. 21:7Or, a chariot. Or, chariots↑
  11. 21:7Or, a chariot. Or, chariots↑
  12. 21:8Or, every night↑
  13. 21:9Or, come chariots of men↑
  14. 21:9Or, a pair of horsemen↑
  15. 21:10Hebrew son.↑
  16. 21:11Or, oracle concerning↑
  17. 21:11Or, what hour↑
  18. 21:11Or, what hour↑
  19. 21:12Or, is come↑
  20. 21:12Or, come ye again↑
  21. 21:13Or, oracle↑
  22. 21:13Or, thickets↑
  23. 21:14Or, is thirsty bring ye↑
  24. 21:14Or, as otherwise read, ye inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet↑