| King James Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land. | 1This message came to me concerning Babylon—the desert by the sea : Disaster is roaring down on you from the desert, like a whirlwind sweeping in from the Negev. |
| 2A 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. | 2I see a terrifying vision: I see the betrayer betraying, the destroyer destroying. Go ahead, you Elamites and Medes, attack and lay siege. I will make an end to all the groaning Babylon caused. |
| 3Therefore 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. | 3My stomach aches and burns with pain. Sharp pangs of anguish are upon me, like those of a woman in labor. I grow faint when I hear what God is planning; I am too afraid to look. |
| 4My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. | 4My mind reels and my heart races. I longed for evening to come, but now I am terrified of the dark. |
| 5Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. | 5Look! They are preparing a great feast. They are spreading rugs for people to sit on. Everyone is eating and drinking. But quick! Grab your shields and prepare for battle. You are being attacked! |
| 6For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. | 6Meanwhile, the Lord said to me, “Put a watchman on the city wall. Let him shout out what he sees. |
| 7And 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: | 7He should look for chariots drawn by pairs of horses, and for riders on donkeys and camels. Let the watchman be fully alert.” |
| 8And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights: | 8Then the watchman called out, “Day after day I have stood on the watchtower, my lord. Night after night I have remained at my post. |
| 9And, 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. | 9Now at last—look! Here comes a man in a chariot with a pair of horses!” Then the watchman said, “Babylon is fallen, fallen! All the idols of Babylon lie broken on the ground!” |
| 10O 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. | 10O my people, threshed and winnowed, I have told you everything the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has said, everything the God of Israel has told me. A Message about Edom |
| 11The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? | 11This message came to me concerning Edom : Someone from Edom keeps calling to me, “Watchman, how much longer until morning? When will the night be over?” |
| 12The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come. | 12The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but night will soon return. If you wish to ask again, then come back and ask.” A Message about Arabia |
| 13The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim. | 13This message came to me concerning Arabia: O caravans from Dedan, hide in the deserts of Arabia. |
| 14The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled. | 14O people of Tema, bring water to these thirsty people, food to these weary refugees. |
| 15For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. | 15They have fled from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and the terrors of battle. |
| 16For 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: | 16The Lord said to me, “Within a year, counting each day, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end. |
| 17And 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. | 17Only a few of its courageous archers will survive. I, the LORD, the God of Israel, have spoken!” |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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