Isaiah 21
21
God’s Message to Babylon
1This is a message about the Desert by the Sea:
Disaster is coming from the desert
like wind blowing in the south.
It is coming from a terrible country.
2I have seen a terrible vision.
I see traitors turning against you
and people taking your wealth.
Elam, attack the people!
Media, surround the city and attack it!
I will bring an end to the pain the city causes.
3I saw those terrible things, and now I am in pain;
my pains are like the pains of giving birth.
What I hear makes me very afraid;
what I see causes me to shake with fear.
4I am worried,
and I am shaking with fear.
My pleasant evening
has become a night of fear.
5They set the table;
they spread the rugs;
they eat and drink.
Leaders, stand up.
Prepare the shields for battle!
6The Lord said to me,
“Go, place a lookout for the city
and have him report what he sees.
7If he sees chariots and teams of horses,
donkeys, or camels,
he should pay very close attention.”
8Then the lookout called out,
“My master, each day I stand in the watchtower watching;
every night I have been on guard.
9Look, I see a man coming in a chariot
with a team of horses.”
The man gives back the answer,
“Babylon has fallen. It has fallen!
All the statues of her gods
lie broken on the ground.”
10My people are crushed like grain on the threshing floor.
My people, I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord All-Powerful,
from the God of Israel.
God’s Message to Edom
11This is a message about Dumah:
Someone calls to me from Edom,
“Watchman, how much of the night is left?
Watchman, how much longer will it be night?”
12The watchman answers,
“Morning is coming, but then night will come again.
If you have something to ask,
then come back and ask.”
God’s Message to Arabia
13This is a message about Arabia:
A group of traders from Dedan
spent the night near some trees in Arabia.
14They gave water to thirsty travelers;
the people of Tema gave food
to those who were escaping.
15They were running from swords,
from swords ready to kill,
from bows ready to shoot,
from a hard battle.
16This is what the Lord said to me: “In one year all the glory of the country of Kedar will be gone. (This is a year as a hired helper counts time.) 17At that time only a few of the archers, the soldiers of Kedar, will be left alive.” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.
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Isaiah 21: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 21
21
The Fall of Babylon
1The oracle of the wilderness of the sea:
As storm winds passing over in the Negev,
it comes#Literally “to come” from the desert,
from a frightful land.
2A hard revelation is told to me;
the treacherous deals treacherously,
and the destroyer destroys.
Go up, Elam;
lay siege, Media!
I put an end to all of her sighing.
3Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;
pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman giving birth.
I am too bent to hear,#Literally “bent from hearing,” which could also mean “bent because of what I heard”
I am too dismayed to see.#Literally “dismayed from seeing,” which could also mean “dismayed because of what I saw”
4My mind#Literally “heart” staggers; fear terrifies me;
the twilight I desired#Literally “of my desire” brought#Literally “put” me fear.
5Set out the table in order!
Spread out the rugs!#Hebrew “rug”
Eat! drink!
Rise up, commanders;
smear#That is, prepare with oil the shield!
6For the Lord said this to me:
“Go, set a watchman in position.
He must announce what he sees.
7When#Or “And” he sees riders,#Hebrew “rider”
a pair of horsemen,
riders#Hebrew “rider” of donkeys,#Hebrew “donkey”
riders#Hebrew “rider” of camels,#Hebrew “camel”
then#Or “and” he must listen attentively,
paying attention, paying special#Literally “much” attention.”
8Then#Or “And” the watchman#Literally “lion” called,
“Lord, I am standing on the watchtower continually by day,
and I am standing at my post throughout#Literally “all of” the night.
9And look at this! A man’s a chariot is coming,
a pair of horsemen!”
Then#Or “and” he responded and said,
“It has fallen! Babylon has fallen!
And all the images of her gods are#Hebrew “is” smashed on the ground!”
10My downtrodden people
and the son of my threshing floor,
I will announce to you what I have heard from Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel.
Oracle regarding Dumah
11The oracle of Dumah:
One is calling to me from Seir,
“Watchman, what of#Literally “from” the night?
Watchman, what of#Literally “from” the night?”
12The watchman says,
“Morning comes,
and also the night.
If you will inquire, inquire;
come back again.”#Literally “return come”
Oracle against Arabia
13An oracle concerning#Literally “in” Arabia:
You will spend the night in the thicket in a desert-plateau,#The Hebrew for “in a desert-plateau” is the same as for “concerning Arabia” in the preceding line
caravans of Dedanites.
14When you happen to meet#Literally “Toward encountering” the thirsty, bring water.
Inhabitants of the land of Tema came to meet the fugitive with his bread.
15For they have fled from the swords,
from the drawn sword and the bent bow,
and from the heaviness of the battle.
16For the Lord said this to me:
“In one more year,#Literally “In yet a year” like the years of a hired worker,
all the glory of Kedar will come to an end.
17And the remainder of the number of the bows#Hebrew “bow” of the warriors of the sons of Kedar will be few.”
For Yahweh, the God of Israel, has spoken.
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