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
Babylon Has Fallen
1This is the divine revelation about the desert by the sea.
Like a storm sweeping through the Negev,
an invader will come from the desert,
from a terrifying land.
2I was shown a harsh vision.
The traitor betrays.
The destroyer destroys.
Go to war, Elam!
Surround them, Media!
I will put an end to all the groaning.
3That is why my body is full of trembling.
Pain grips me like the pain of childbirth.
I’m disturbed by what I hear.
I’m terrified by what I see.
4I’m confused.
I’m shaking with terror.
The twilight hours I longed for make me tremble.
5Set the table.
Spread the rugs ⌞by the table⌟.
Eat. Drink.
Get up, you leaders!
Prepare your shields for battle!
6This is what the Lord says to me:
Post a watchman.
Have him report whatever he sees.
7He will see chariots, pairs of horsemen,
riders on donkeys, and riders on camels.
Let him watch carefully, very carefully.
8The watchman #21:8 Syriac, Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text, Targum “lion”; Greek “Uriah.” called,
“Sir, I stand on the watchtower every day.
Every night, I stand guard at my post.
9Look! Here come chariots and horsemen in pairs.”
Then he said,
“Babylon has fallen! It has fallen!
All the idols they worship lie shattered on the ground.”
10You, my people, have been threshed and winnowed.#21:10 Threshing is the process of beating stalks to separate them from the grain. Winnowing is the process of separating husks from grain.
I make known to you what I heard from the Lord of Armies,
the God of Israel.
Someone Calling from Seir
11This is the divine revelation about Dumah.#21:11 The exact location of Dumah is unknown.
Someone is calling to me from Seir,
“Watchman, how much of the night is left?
Watchman, how much of the night is left?”
12The watchman answers,
“Morning is coming, and night will come again.
If you need to ask, come back and ask.”
Arabia Will Be Punished
13This is the divine revelation about Arabia.
You caravan of travelers from the people of Dedan
will spend the night in the forest of Arabia.
14Bring water for the thirsty,
you inhabitants of the land of Tema.
Bring food to the fugitives.
15They flee from swords,
from swords ready to kill,
from bows ready to shoot,
and from the thick of battle.
16This is what the Lord says to me: All of Kedar’s honor will be gone in another year. I will count it like workers count the years left on their contracts. 17The remaining number of archers, Kedar’s mighty archers, will be few. The Lord God of Israel has spoken.
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