Isaias (Isaiah) 21
21
1THE burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds come from the south, it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.
2A grievous vision is told me: He that is unfaithful dealeth unfaithfully; and he that is a spoiler, spoileth. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Mede: I have made all the mourning thereof to cease.
3Therefore are my loins filled with pain: anguish hath taken hold of me, as the anguish of a woman in labour. I fell down at the hearing of it: I was troubled at the seeing of it.
4My heart failed, darkness amazed me: Babylon my beloved is become a wonder to me.
5Prepare the table: behold in the watch-tower them that eat and drink. Arise, ye princes, take up the shield.
6For thus hath the Lord said to me: Go, and set a watchman: and whatsoever he shall see let him tell.
7And he saw a chariot with two horsemen, a rider upon an ass, and a rider upon a camel: and he beheld them diligently with much heed.
8And a lion cried out: I am upon the watch-tower of the Lord, standing continually by day: and I am upon my ward, standing whole nights.
9Behold, this man cometh, the rider upon the chariot with two horsemen. And he answered and said: Babylon is fallen, she is fallen, and all the graven gods thereof are broken unto the ground.
10O my threshing, and the children of my floor, that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared unto you.
11The burden of Duma calleth to me out of Seir: Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
12The watchman said: The morning cometh, also the night. If you seek, seek: return, come.
13The burden in Arabia. In the forest at evening you shall sleep, in the paths of Dedanim.
14Meeting the thirsty bring him water, you that inhabit the land of the south: meet with bread him that fleeth.
15For they are fled from before the swords, from the sword that hung over them, from the bent bow, from the face of a grievous battle.
16For thus saith the Lord to me: Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Cedar shall be taken away.
17And the residue of the number of strong archers of the children of Cedar shall be diminished: for the Lord the God of Israel hath spoken it.
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Isaias (Isaiah) 21: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Isaiah 21
21
The Fall of Babylonia#21 Title Babylonia: King Cyrus and his army of Medes and Persians captured the city of Babylon in 539 b.c.
1This is a message about a desert beside the sea:#21.1 This … sea: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. The prophet may be speaking of Babylonia as a desert, because of the terrible punishment God will bring on it. The southern part of Babylonia on the Persian Gulf was sometimes called “the land beside the sea.”
Enemies from a hostile nation
attack like a whirlwind
from the Southern Desert.
2What a horrible vision
was shown to me—
a vision of betrayal
and destruction.
Tell Elam and Media#21.2 Elam and Media: People from the Iranian highlands; the capital of Elam was Susa, in the hill country east of Babylon.
to surround and attack
the Babylonians.
The Lord has sworn to end
the suffering they caused.
3I'm in terrible pain
like a woman giving birth.
I'm shocked and hurt so much
that I can't hear or see.
4My head spins; I'm horrified!
Early evening, my favorite time,
has become a nightmare.
5In Babylon the high officials
were having a feast.
They were eating and drinking,
when someone shouted,
“Officers, take your places!
Grab your shields.”
6The Lord said to me,
“Send guards
to find out
what's going on.
7When they see cavalry troops
and columns of soldiers
on donkeys and camels,
tell them to be ready!”
8Then a guard#21.8 guard: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text has “lion.” said,
“I have stood day and night
on this watchtower, Lord.
9 #
Rev 14.8; 18.2. Now I see column after column
of cavalry troops.”
At once someone shouted,
“Babylon has fallen!
Every idol in the city
lies broken on the ground.”
10Then I said, “My people,
you have suffered terribly,
but I have a message for you
from the Lord All-Powerful,
the God of Israel.”
How Much Longer?
11This is a message about Dumah:
From the country of Seir,#21.11 Dumah … Seir: Dumah was an oasis in the Arabian desert. One ancient translation has “Edom,” which may be what is meant. Seir is a mountainous region of Edom southwest of the Dead Sea.
someone shouts to me,
“Guard, how much longer
before daylight?”
12From my guard post, I answered,
“Morning will soon be here,
but night will return.
If you want to know more,
come back later.”
13This is a message for Arabs who live in the barren desert in the region of Dedan:#21.13 Dedan: A region in northwest Arabia.
You must order your caravans
14to bring water for those
who are thirsty.
You people of Tema#21.14 Tema: A region in north Arabia.
must bring food
for the hungry refugees.
15They are worn out and weary
from being chased by enemies
with swords and arrows.
16The Lord said to me:
A year from now the glory of the people of Kedar#21.16 Kedar: A region in the Arabian desert. will all come to an end, just as a worker's contract ends after a year. 17Only a few of their warriors will be left with bows and arrows. This is a promise that I, the Lord God of Israel, have made.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.