21:1 An oracle concerning the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.
21:2 A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.
21:3 At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see.
21:4 My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.
21:5 They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields!
21:6 This is what the Lord says to me: “Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees.
21:7 When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert.”
21:8 And the lookout shouted, “Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post.
21:9 Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!’”
21:10 O my people, crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the LORD Almighty, from the God of Israel.
21:11 An oracle concerning Dumah: Someone calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?”
21:12 The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again.”
21:13 An oracle concerning Arabia: You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
21:14 bring water for the thirsty; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives.
21:15 They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle.
21:16 This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the pomp of Kedar will come to an end.
21:17 The survivors of the bowmen, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.
21:1 The burden concerning the wilderness of the sea:
Like torm winds / In the Negev passing through, / It comes from the wilderness / From an awesome land.
21:2 A harsh vision / Has been announced to me; / The unfaithful one deals unfaithfully, / And the destroyer destroys. / Go up, Elam; / Lay siege, Media; / I have put an end / To all her groaning.
21:3 Therefore my loins / Are full of anguish; / Pangs have taken hold of me / Like the pangs of a woman in labor. / I am bent over at the hearing of it; / I am terrified at the seeing of it.
21:4 My heart reels; / Shuddering overwhelms me. / The twilight that I love / Has become a source of trembling to me.
21:5 Setting the table! / Spreading out the rug! / Eating! Drinking! / Rise, princes; / Oil the shields.
21:6 For thus says / The Lord to me, / Go, set a watchman; / Let him report what he sees.
21:7 And he saw riders, / A team of horsemen; / Riders of donkeys, / Riders of camels; / And he attends with attention, / With much attention.
21:8 And he calls out like a lion: / On the watchtower, Lord, / I stand continually by day; / At my guardpost / I am stationed / Every night.
21:9 And now there come / Riding men, / A team of horsemen. / And one answers and says, / Fallen, fallen is Babylon! / And all the idols of her gods / Has He shattered to the ground.
21:10 My threshed ones, / And the son of the threshing floor! / What I have heard / From Jehovah of hosts, / The God of Israel, / I have declared to you.
21:11 The burden concerning Dumah: / Someone is calling to me from Seir: / Guard, what remains of the night? / Guard, what remains of the night?
21:12 The guard says, / Morning is coming, / But so also is night; / If you will ask, ask; / Return, come.
21:13 The burden against Arabia: / In the thicket of Arabia you must spend the night, / You nomad clans of the Dedanim.
21:14 They bring water / To meet the thirsty; / The inhabitants of the land of Tema / Meet with bread those who flee;
21:15 For they flee from swords ? / From the drawn sword, / From the bent bow, / And from the harshness of battle.
21:16 For thus has the Lord said to me, Within a year, like a wage worker’s year, all the glory of Kedar will end,
21:17 And the remainder of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few; for Jehovah the God of Israel has spoken.