1 | The word about the waste land. As storm-winds in the South go rushing through, it comes from the waste land, from the land greatly to be feared. |
2 | A vision of fear comes before my eyes; the worker of deceit goes on in his false way, and the waster goes on making waste. Up! Elam; to the attack! Media; I have put an end to her sorrow. |
3 | For this cause I am full of bitter grief; pains like the pains of a woman in childbirth have come on me: I am bent down with sorrow at what comes to my ears; I am shocked by what I see. |
4 | My mind is wandering, fear has overcome me: the evening of my desire has been turned into shaking for me. |
5 | They make ready the table, they put down the covers, they take food and drink. Up! you captains; put oil on your breastplates. |
6 | For so has the Lord said to me, Go, let a watchman be placed; let him give word of what he sees: |
7 | And when he sees war-carriages, horsemen by twos, war-carriages with asses, war-carriages with camels, let him give special attention. |
8 | And the watchman gave a loud cry, O my lord, I am on the watchtower all day, and am placed in my watch every night: |
9 | See, here come war-carriages with men, horsemen by twos: and in answer he said, Babylon is made low, is made low, and all her images are broken on the earth. |
10 | O my crushed ones, the grain of my floor! I have given you the word which came to me from the Lord of armies, the God of Israel. |
11 | The word about Edom. A voice comes to me from Seir, Watchman, how far gone is the night? how far gone is the night? |
12 | The watchman says, The morning has come, but night is still to come: if you have questions to put, put them, and come back again. |
13 | The word about Arabia. In the thick woods of Arabia will be your night's resting-place, O travelling bands of Dedanites! |
14 | Give water to him who is in need of water; give bread, O men of the land of Tema, to those in flight. |
15 | For they are in flight from the sharp sword, and the bent bow, and from the trouble of war. |
16 | For so has the Lord said to me, In a year, by the years of a servant working for payment, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end: |
17 | And the rest of the bowmen, the men of war of the children of Kedar, will be small in number: for the Lord, the God of Israel, has said it. |
Isaiah 21
