Isaiah 21
21
Watchman, Pay Attention!
1The burden of the desert by the sea: As windstorms sweep over the South, so it comes from the desert, a terrifying land.
2A harsh vision has been shown to me: “The traitor betrays, and the plunderer plunders. Go up, Elam! Besiege, Media! I have put an end to all her groaning.”
3Therefore my body is filled with pain. Pangs have taken hold of me like the pangs of a woman in labor. I am bewildered by what I hear, terrified by what I see.
4My heart is bewildered, terror overwhelms me. The twilight I longed for has been turned into trembling.
5Set the table, spread out the cloth! Eat! Drink! “Rise up, you princes, oil the shield!”
6For Adonai has said to me. “Go, post a watchman— let him declare what he sees!
7When he sees a chariot with a pair of horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him pay attention— very close attention!”
8Then he cried out like a lion: “Upon the watch tower, Adonai, I stand continually in the daytime, and stay at my post every night.
9Look! Here comes a chariot of men, with a pair of horsemen.” Then one answered and said, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her gods are broken on the ground.”
10O my people, crushed on the threshing floor, what I heard from Adonai Tzva’ot, God of Israel, I have declared to you.
11The burden of Dumah: One calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12The watchman said, “Morning comes, yet also it is night.” If you would inquire, inquire. Come back again.”
13The burden of Arabia: In the desert brush of Arabia you will stay for the night, you caravans of Dedanites.
14To him who is thirsty bring water, inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet the fugitive with food.
15For they fled from swords, from drawn sword, from bent bow and distress of war.
16For thus Adonai said to me, “Within a year (as with the years of a hired worker), all the glory of Kedar will cease,
17and the remainder of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few. For Adonai God of Israel has spoken.”
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
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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