Isaiah 21
21
The Fall of Babylon Proclaimed
1The burden against the Wilderness of the Sea.
As #Zech. 9:14whirlwinds in the South pass through,
So it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.
2A distressing vision is declared to me;
#Is. 33:1The treacherous dealer deals treacherously,
And the plunderer plunders.
#Is. 13:17; 22:6; Jer. 49:34Go up, O Elam!
Besiege, O Media!
All its sighing I have made to cease.
3Therefore #Is. 15:5; 16:11my loins are filled with pain;
#Is. 13:8Pangs have taken hold of me, like the pangs of a woman in labor.
I was distressed when I heard it;
I was dismayed when I saw it.
4My heart wavered, fearfulness frightened me;
#Deut. 28:67The night for which I longed He turned into fear for me.
5#Jer. 51:39; Dan. 5:5Prepare the table,
Set a watchman in the tower,
Eat and drink.
Arise, you princes,
Anoint the shield!
6For thus has the Lord said to me:
“Go, set a watchman,
Let him declare what he sees.”
7And he saw a chariot with a pair of horsemen,
A chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels,
And he listened earnestly with great care.
8Then he cried, “A lion, my Lord!
I stand continually on the #Hab. 2:1watchtower in the daytime;
I have sat at my post every night.
9And look, here comes a chariot of men with a pair of horsemen!”
Then he answered and said,
#Is. 13:19; 47:5, 9; 48:14; Jer. 51:8; Dan. 5:28, 31; Rev. 14:8; 18:2“Babylon is fallen, is fallen!
And #Is. 46:1; Jer. 50:2; 51:44all the carved images of her gods
He has broken to the ground.”
10#Jer. 51:33; Mic. 4:13Oh, my threshing and the grain of my floor!
That which I have heard from the Lord of hosts,
The God of Israel,
I have declared to you.
Proclamation Against Edom
11#Gen. 25:14; 1 Chr. 1:30; Josh. 15:52The burden against Dumah.
He calls to me out of #Gen. 32:3; Jer. 49:7; Ezek. 35:2; Obad. 1Seir,
“Watchman, what of the night?
Watchman, what of the night?”
12The watchman said,
“The morning comes, and also the night.
If you will inquire, inquire;
Return! Come back!”
Proclamation Against Arabia
13#Jer. 25:24; 49:28The burden against Arabia.
In the forest in Arabia you will lodge,
O you traveling companies #Gen. 10:7; 1 Chr. 1:9, 32; Jer. 25:23; Ezek. 27:15of Dedanites.
14O inhabitants of the land of Tema,
Bring water to him who is thirsty;
With their bread they met him who fled.
15For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword,
From the bent bow, and from the distress of war.
16For thus the Lord has said to me: “Within a year, #Is. 16:14according to the year of a hired man, all the glory of #Ps. 120:5; Song 1:5; Is. 42:11; 60:7; Ezek. 27:21Kedar will fail; 17and the remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the people of Kedar, will be diminished; for the Lord God of Israel has spoken it.”
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Isaiah 21: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 21
21
A Judgment on Babylon
1A pronouncement#Is 13:1 concerning the desert by the sea:#Is 13:20–22; 14:23; 21:9; Jr 51:41–44
Like storms that pass over the Negev,
it comes from the desert, from the land of terror.
2A troubling vision is declared to me:
“The treacherous one acts treacherously,#Is 24:16; 33:1
and the destroyer destroys.
Advance, Elam! Lay siege, you Medes!
I will put an end to all the groaning.”
3Therefore I am#21:3 Lit my waist is, or my insides are filled with anguish.
Pain grips me, like the pain of a woman in labor.#Ps 48:6; Is 13:8; 16:11; 26:17–18; Jr 4:31; 6:24; 22:23; 30:6; 50:43; Mc 4:9–10; 1Th 5:3
I am too perplexed to hear,
too dismayed to see.
4My heart staggers;
horror terrifies me.
He has turned my last glimmer of hope#21:4 Lit my twilight
into sheer terror.#Dt 28:67
5Prepare a table,#Jr 51:39,57; Dn 5:1–4 and spread out a carpet!
Eat and drink!
Rise up, you princes, and oil the shields!
6For the Lord has said to me,
“Go, post a lookout;
let him report what he sees.
7When he sees riders —
pairs of horsemen,
riders on donkeys,
riders on camels —
he must pay close attention.”
8Then the lookout#21:8 DSS, Syr; MT reads Then a lion reported,
“Lord, I stand on the watchtower all day,#Hab 2:1
and I stay at my post all night.
9Look, riders come —
horsemen in pairs.”
And he answered, saying,
“Babylon has fallen,#2Sm 1:19; Is 3:8; 14:12; Jr 51:8; Ezk 32:22; Rv 14:8; 18:2 has fallen.
All the images of her gods
have been shattered on the ground.”#Is 46:1; Jr 50:2; 51:44
10My people who have been crushed
on the threshing floor,#Jr 51:33; Mc 4:13
I have declared to you
what I have heard from the Lord of Armies,
the God of Israel.
A Pronouncement against Dumah
11A pronouncement#Is 21:1 concerning Dumah:#21:11 Some Hb mss, LXX read Edom#Gn 25:14
One calls to me from Seir,#Dt 2:8; Ezk 35:2
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12The watchman said,
“Morning has come, and also night.
If you want to ask, ask!
Come back again.”
A Pronouncement against Arabia
13A pronouncement concerning Arabia:#Jr 25:23–24; 49:28
In the desert#21:13 LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg read desert at evening brush
you will camp for the night,
you caravans of Dedanites.#Gn 10:7; Jr 25:23; 49:8; Ezk 27:15
14Bring water for the thirsty.
The inhabitants of the land of Tema#Gn 25:15; Jb 6:19
meet#21:14 LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg read meet as a command the refugees with food.
15For they have fled from swords,
from the drawn sword,
from the bow that is strung,
and from the stress of battle.
16For the Lord said this to me: “Within one year,#Is 16:14 as a hired worker counts years, all the glory of Kedar#Ps 120:5; Sg 1:5; Is 42:11; 60:7; Jr 2:10; Ezk 27:21 will be gone. 17The remaining Kedarite archers will be few in number.” For the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.
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