Isaiah 21
21
1A message about the desert by the sea.#21:1. “Desert by the sea,” usually taken to refer to Babylon. Although there is no literal sea nearby, the large Euphrates River can be referred to as a “sea” in the same way the Nile is described in 18:2, 19:5. Like storm winds passing through the Negev, something is coming from the desert, from a land of terror— 2a horrifying vision that has been explained to me. The betrayer still betrays; the destroyer still destroys. Elamites and Medes, go ahead, attack and lay siege to Babylon,#21:2. “Babylon”: supplied for clarity. for I'm putting a stop to all the pain it has caused.#21:2. “All the pain it has caused”: literally, “all its sighing.”
3As a result my body is filled with agony. I'm overwhelmed with pain, like the pain of a woman giving birth. I am confused by what I hear; I am distressed by what I see. 4My mind falters; I shake in panic. The night I looked forward to has become terrifying.
5They set the table, they spread out the rugs, they eat and drink…
“Get up, officers! Prepare your shields for battle!”
6This is what the Lord told me: “Go! Have a lookout keep watch, and make sure he reports what he sees. 7When he sees chariots coming pulled by pairs of horses, riders on donkeys and on camels, he should watch very carefully, paying close attention.”
8Then the lookout#21:8. Dead Sea Scroll reading. Hebrew text, “lion.” shouted “Sir, I've stood here on the watchtower day after day; night after night I've remained at my post. 9Now look! A man in a chariot with a pair of horses is coming.”
Then he said, “Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the idols of its gods lie smashed on the ground!”
10My poor downtrodden people, so badly mistreated, I have told you what I have heard from the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel.
11A message about Edom.#21:11. The word used here actually means silence, and is a play on words with the actual name of the country of Edom. This is how the Septuagint interprets it. A voice is calling to me from Seir, asking, “Watchman, what time of night is it? Watchman, what time of night is it?”
12The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but the night is coming again soon. If you want to ask again, then come back and ask.”
13A message about Arabia. Caravans from Dedan, spend the night in the bushes. 14People of Tema, take water to the thirsty, meet the refugees with food. 15They're running away from a fierce battle, from swords, drawn swords, from bows and arrows.
16This is what the Lord told me: “Within one year, just as a contract worker precisely counts years, all the glory of Kedar will be gone. 17There will only be a few left of the archers, the warriors of Kedar.” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.
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Isaiah 21: FBV
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Isaiah 21
21
1The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it cometh from the wilderness, from a terrible land. 2A 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. 3Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see. 4My heart panteth, horror hath affrighted me: the twilight that I desired hath been turned into trembling unto me. 5They prepare the table, they set 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: 7and when he seeth a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed. 8And he cried as a lion: O Lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights: 9and, behold, here cometh a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground. 10O thou my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.
11The burden of Dumah. One calleth unto me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? 12The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: turn ye, come.
13The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanites. 14Unto him that was thirsty they brought water; the 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 an hireling, and 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 the LORD, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.
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