THE BOOK OF ISAIAH

 

Isaiah Chapter 21

1 ¶ God’s sentence on the desert by the sea. Like whirlwinds that pass through the desert; it will come from the desert, from a dreadful country.

2 A grievous vision is shown to me; the one who deals treacherously continues dealing treacherously, and the destroyer goes on destroying. Go up, O Elam: besiege them, O Media; I will bring an end to all the groaning she has caused.

3 That is why my body is filled with anguish: pains have taken hold of me, like the pains of a woman in travail: I writhe at hearing it; I am terrified at seeing it.

4 My mind reels, horror makes me shudder: he has turned the night of my pleasure into terror for me.

5 Prepare the table, spread a carpet, eat, drink: arise, you princes, and grease your shields.

6 For the Lord has said this to me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees.

7 When he sees cavalry with horsemen in pairs, a troop on donkeys, and a troop on camels; he should watch carefully, very carefully:

8 And the watchman called, My lord, I stand on the watchtower all day, and stand guard every night:

9 And, look, here comes a troop of men, with horsemen in pairs. And he answered saying, Babylon has fallen, has fallen; and all of the carved images of her gods he has shattered on the ground.

10 O my threshed, and winnowed one: I am telling you what I have heard from the LORD of armies, the God of Israel.

11 ¶ God’s sentence on Dumah. One calls to me from Seir, Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?

12 The watchman said, The morning comes, and also the night: if you must ask, ask: then come again.

13 ¶ God’s sentence on Arabia. You will dwell in the scrubland of the desert, O you caravans of Dedanim.

14 You who live in the land of Tema bring water to him who is thirsty, meet the refugee with bread.

15 For they fled from the swords, from drawn swords, from the bent bows, and from the stress of war.

16 For the Lord has said this to me, Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar will be gone:

17 And the remaining archers, and fighting men of the children of Kedar, will be few in number: for the LORD God of Israel has spoken.