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21 The massa (burden) concerning the Midbar Yam (desert by the sea). As sufot (whirlwinds) in the Negev sweep through; so it cometh from the midbar, from eretz nora’ah.

A chazut kashah (harsh vision) is declared unto me; the boged (traitor) dealeth treacherously, and the shoded (destroyer) destroyeth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the groaning she [Babylon] caused have I made to cease.

Therefore are my loins filled with pain; tzirim (pangs) have taken hold upon me, as the tzirim (pangs) of a woman in labor; I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

My lev panted, fearfulness seized upon me; the neshef (twilight) of my longing hath become unto me as kharadah (shuddering horror).

[They are] setting the shulchan, spreading the tzafit (dining carpet), to eat, to drink; arise, ye sarim (princes), and anoint the mogen.

For thus hath Adonoi said unto me, Go, post the metzapeh (watchman), let him report what he seeth.

When he sees riders with a pair of parashim, donkey riders and camel riders, then he pays heed diligently with great care;

And the one seeing cried out, Adoni, I stand continually on the mitzpeh (watchtower) in the daytime, and I am set in my mishmeret (guard duty) kol halailot (every night),

And, hinei, here cometh a merkavah with a man, a pair of parashim. And he answered and said, Bavel (Babylon) is fallen, is fallen; and all the pesilim (images) of her elohim (g-ds) hath been shattered on the ground.

10 O my threshed [people], and the grain of my goren (threshing floor); that which I have heard of Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel, have I declared unto you.

11 The massa (burden) of Dumah [Edom]. One calleth to me out of Seir [Edom], Shomer (watchman), what of the lailah? Shomer, what of the lailah?

12 The shomer said, The boker cometh, and also the lailah; if ye will inquire, inquire ye; shuvu (return), come.

13 The massa (burden) concerning Arabia. In the ya’ar (forest) of Arabia shall ye encamp O ye caravans of Dedanim.

14 The inhabitants of Eretz Tema brought mayim to him that was tzameh (thirsty), they met with their lechem him that fled.

15 For they fled from the charavot (swords), from the drawn cherev, and from the bent keshet (bow), and from the grievousness of milchamah (war).

16 For thus hath Hashem said unto me, Within a shanah (year), according to the way a year is counted by a sakhir (hireling, hired servant), all the kavod of Kedar shall end;

17 And the remainder of the mispar (number) of archers, the gibborim (mighty men) of the Bnei Kedar, shall be few; for Hashem Elohei Yisroel hath spoken.

A Prophecy Against Babylon

21 A prophecy(A) against the Desert(B) by the Sea:

Like whirlwinds(C) sweeping through the southland,(D)
    an invader comes from the desert,
    from a land of terror.

A dire(E) vision has been shown to me:
    The traitor betrays,(F) the looter takes loot.
Elam,(G) attack! Media,(H) lay siege!
    I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.

At this my body is racked with pain,(I)
    pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;(J)
I am staggered by what I hear,
    I am bewildered(K) by what I see.
My heart(L) falters,
    fear makes me tremble;(M)
the twilight I longed for
    has become a horror(N) to me.

They set the tables,
    they spread the rugs,
    they eat, they drink!(O)
Get up, you officers,
    oil the shields!(P)

This is what the Lord says to me:

“Go, post a lookout(Q)
    and have him report what he sees.
When he sees chariots(R)
    with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
    or riders on camels,(S)
let him be alert,
    fully alert.”

And the lookout[a](T) shouted,

“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
    every night I stay at my post.
Look, here comes a man in a chariot(U)
    with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
    ‘Babylon(V) has fallen,(W) has fallen!
All the images of its gods(X)
    lie shattered(Y) on the ground!’”

10 My people who are crushed on the threshing floor,(Z)
    I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord Almighty,
    from the God of Israel.

A Prophecy Against Edom

11 A prophecy against Dumah[b]:(AA)

Someone calls to me from Seir,(AB)
    “Watchman, what is left of the night?
    Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12 The watchman replies,
    “Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you would ask, then ask;
    and come back yet again.”

A Prophecy Against Arabia

13 A prophecy(AC) against Arabia:(AD)

You caravans of Dedanites,(AE)
    who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
14     bring water for the thirsty;
you who live in Tema,(AF)
    bring food for the fugitives.
15 They flee(AG) from the sword,(AH)
    from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow
    and from the heat of battle.

16 This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract(AI) would count it, all the splendor(AJ) of Kedar(AK) will come to an end. 17 The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.(AL)” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.(AM)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac; Masoretic Text A lion
  2. Isaiah 21:11 Dumah, a wordplay on Edom, means silence or stillness.

21 The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.

A 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.

Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:

And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:

And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

10 O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?

12 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.

13 The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.

14 The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.

15 For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

16 For 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:

17 And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it.