Isaiah 21
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1The burden against the Wilderness of the Sea. As whirlwinds in the South pass through, So it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.1A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.
2A distressing vision is declared to me; The treacherous dealer deals treacherously, And the plunderer plunders. Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All its sighing I have made to cease.2A 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.
3Therefore my loins are filled with pain; Pangs have taken hold of me, like the pangs of a woman in labor. I was distressed when I heard it; I was dismayed when I saw it.3At 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.
4My heart wavered, fearfulness frightened me; The night for which I longed He turned into fear for me.4My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.
5Prepare the table, Set a watchman in the tower, Eat and drink. Arise, you princes, Anoint the shield!5They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields!
6For thus has the Lord said to me: “Go, set a watchman, Let him declare what he sees.”6This is what the Lord says to me: "Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees.
7And he saw a chariot with a pair of horsemen, A chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels, And he listened earnestly with great care.7When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert."
8Then he cried, “A lion, my Lord! I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime; I have sat at my post every night.8And the lookout shouted, "Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post.
9And look, here comes a chariot of men with a pair of horsemen!” Then he answered and said, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the carved images of her gods He has broken to the ground.”9Look, 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!'"
10Oh, my threshing and the grain of my floor! That which I have heard from the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, I have declared to you.10My people who are crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the LORD Almighty, from the God of Israel.
11The burden against Dumah. He calls to me out of Seir, “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?”11A prophecy against Dumah: Someone calls to me from Seir, "Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?"
12The watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; Return! Come back!”12The watchman replies, "Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again."
13The burden against Arabia. In the forest in Arabia you will lodge, O you traveling companies of Dedanites.13A prophecy against Arabia: You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
14O inhabitants of the land of Tema, Bring water to him who is thirsty; With their bread they met him who fled.14bring water for the thirsty; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives.
15For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, From the bent bow, and from the distress of war.15They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle.
16For thus the LORD has said to me: “Within a year, according to the year of a hired man, all the glory of Kedar will fail;16This is what the Lord says to me: "Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end.
17and the remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the people of Kedar, will be diminished; for the LORD God of Israel has spoken it.17The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few." The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.New International Version (NIV)

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Isaiah 20
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