Isaiah 21

New American Bible	Catholic Public Domain Bible
¹ Oracle on the wastelands by the sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping in waves through the Negeb, there comes from the desert, from the fearful land,	¹ The burden of the desert of the sea. Just as the whirlwinds approach from Africa, it approaches from the desert, from a terrible land.
² A cruel sight, revealed to me: the traitor betrays, the despoiler spoils. "Go up, Elam; besiege, O Media; I will put an end to all groaning!"	² A difficult vision has been announced to me: he who is unbelieving, he acts unfaithfully, and he who is a plunderer, he devastates. Ascend, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media! I have caused all its mourning to cease.
³ Therefore my loins are filled with anguish, pangs have seized me like those of a woman in labor; I am too bewildered to hear, too dismayed to look.	³ Because of this, my lower back has been filled with pain, and anguish has possessed me, like the anguish of a woman in labor. I fell down when I heard it. I was disturbed when I saw it.
⁴ My mind reels, shuddering assails me; My yearning for twilight has turned into dread.	⁴ My heart withered. The darkness stupefied me. Babylon, my beloved, has become a wonder to me.
⁵ They set the table, spread out the rugs; they eat, they drink. Rise up, O princes, oil the shield!	⁵ Prepare the table. Contemplate, from a place of observation, those who eat and drink. Rise up, you leaders! Take up the shield!
⁶ For thus says my Lord to me: Go, station a watchman, let him tell what he sees.	⁶ For the Lord has said this to me: “Go and station a watchman. And let him announce whatever he will see.”
⁷ If he sees a chariot, a pair of horses, Someone riding an ass, someone riding a camel, Then let him pay heed, very close heed.	⁷ And he saw a chariot with two horsemen, and a rider on an donkey, and a rider on a camel. And he considered them diligently, with an intense gaze.
⁸ Then the watchman cried, "On the watchtower, O my Lord, I stand constantly by day; And I stay at my post through all the watches of the night.	⁸ And a lion cried out: “I am on the watchtower of the Lord, standing continually by day. And I am at my station, standing throughout the night.
⁹ Here he comes now: a single chariot, a pair of horses; He calls out and says, 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon, And all the images of her gods are smashed to the ground.'"	⁹ Behold, a certain man approaches, a man riding on a two-horse chariot.” And he responded, and he said: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! And all its graven gods have been crushed into the earth!
¹⁰ O my people who have been threshed, beaten on my threshing floor! What I have heard from the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, I have announced to you.	¹⁰ O my threshed grain! O sons of my threshing floor! What I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have announced to you.”
¹¹ Oracle on Edom: They call to me from Seir, "Watchman, how much longer the night? Watchman, how much longer the night?"	¹¹ The burden of Dumah, cried out to me from Seir: “Watchman, how goes the night? Watchman, how goes the night?”
¹² The watchman replies, "Morning has come, and again night. If you will ask, ask; come back again."	¹² The watchman said: “Morning approaches with the night. If you are seeking: seek, and convert, and approach.”
¹³ Oracle on Arabia: In the thicket in the nomad country spend the night, O caravans of Dedanites.	¹³ The burden in Arabia. In the forest you shall sleep, in the evening on the paths of Dedanim.
¹⁴ Meet the thirsty, bring them water; you who dwell in the land of Tema, greet the fugitives with bread.	¹⁴ You who inhabit the land of the south: upon meeting the thirsty, bring water; meet the fugitive with bread.
¹⁵ They flee from the sword, from the whetted sword; From the taut bow, from the fury of battle.	¹⁵ For they are fleeing before the face of swords, before the face of a sword hanging over them, before the face of a bent bow, before the face of a grievous battle.
¹⁶ For thus says the Lord to me: In another year, like those of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall come to an end.	¹⁶ For the Lord said this to me: “After one more year, just like one year for a hired hand, all the glory of Kedar will be taken away.
¹⁷ Few of Kedar's stalwart archers shall remain, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.	¹⁷ And the remainder of the multitude of strong archers from the sons of Kedar will be few, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken it.”