Isaiah 21

Isaiah 21, verse 1. ¹The vision of the desert: As though a whirlwind should pass through the desert, coming from a desert, from a fearful land, Isaiah 21, verse 2. ²so a fearful and harsh vision was declared to me. He who is treacherous deals treacherously; the lawless one deals lawlessly. The Elamites and the ambassador of the Persians come against me. Now I will groan and comfort myself. Isaiah 21, verse 3. ³Therefore my loins are filled with feebleness, and agony seizes me as a woman giving birth. I did wrong, so I cannot hear; I am so troubled, I cannot see. Isaiah 21, verse 4. ⁴My heart is led astray, and lawlessness permeates me. My soul is occupied with fear. Isaiah 21, verse 5. ⁵Prepare the table, eat and drink. Arise, you princes, and prepare your shields. Isaiah 21, verse 6. ⁶For thus the Lord said to me: “Go, set a watchman for yourself and declare whatever you see.” Isaiah 21, verse 7. ⁷So I saw two mounted horsemen, a rider on a donkey, and a rider on a camel. Listen with much attention, Isaiah 21, verse 8. ⁸and call Uriah to the lookout-place of the Lord. Then he said, “I stood continually during the day, and in the camp throughout the night. Isaiah 21, verse 9. ⁹Behold, he is coming, a rider on a chariot.” Then he answered and said, “Babylon is fallen, and all her statues and those made by hand are crushed to the ground.” Isaiah 21, verse 10. ¹⁰Listen, you who remain and are suffering pain, hear what things I heard from the Lord of hosts, which the God of Israel declared to us. Isaiah 21, verse 11. ¹¹The vision of Edom: He calls to me from Seir, “Guard the battlements. Isaiah 21, verse 12. ¹²I guard in the morning and at night. If you will inquire, inquire, and dwell with me.” Isaiah 21, verse 13. ¹³In the forest on the road of Dedan you will lodge. Isaiah 21, verse 14. ¹⁴Bring water to meet him who is thirsty, you inhabitants of the land of Teman; meet those who are fleeing with bread, Isaiah 21, verse 15. ¹⁵because of the multitude who are fleeing and the multitude who are wandering, and because of the multitude of swords and bent bows, and the multitude of those fallen in war. Isaiah 21, verse 16. ¹⁶For thus the Lord said to me: “Within a year, according to the year of a hired servant, all the glory of the sons of Kedar shall fail. Isaiah 21, verse 17. ¹⁷The remainder of the archers and the mighty men of the sons of Kedar shall be few, for the Lord God of Israel has spoken.”