Isaiah 21 ASV
Summary: The "burden of the desert of the sea" pictures a terrible vision of Babylon's fall coming like whirlwinds from the desert, so dreadful that Isaiah's body is convulsed with pain and fear, his pleasure turned to fear. A watchman is set to report what he sees, and he cries that Babylon has fallen, its carved images broken to the ground, news given especially for the threshed and afflicted people of Israel. Shorter burdens follow: against Dumah (Edom), where a voice from Seir asks the watchman how much of the night remains, and against Arabia, warning the fleeing caravans of Dedan to bring water to the thirsty and bread to fugitives from the sword and battle. The chapter closes with a burden against Kedar, prophesying that within a year its glory and archers will be diminished, leaving only a small remnant.
1The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it cometh from the wilderness, from a terrible land.
2A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous man dealeth treacherously, and the destroyer destroyeth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.
3Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
4My heart fluttereth, horror hath affrighted me; the twilight that I desired hath been turned into trembling unto me.
5They prepare the table, they set the watch, they eat, they drink: rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield.
6For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman; let him declare what he seeth:
7and when he seeth a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.
8And he cried as a lion: O Lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights;
9and, behold, here cometh a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.
10O thou my threshing, and the grain of my floor! that which I have heard from Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.
11The burden of Dumah. One calleth unto me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
12The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: turn ye, come.
13The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanites.
14Unto him that was thirsty they brought water; the inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitives with their bread.
15For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
16For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall fail;
17and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be few; for Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.
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