Isa 21 | ESV | STEP | The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea . As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on , it comes from the wilderness , from a terrible land .

‏ Isaiah 21

Fallen, Fallen Is Babylon

1 The ^aoracle concerning the wilderness of ^bthe sea.

^cAs whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on,
it comes from the wilderness,
from a terrible land.
2 A stern vision is told to me;
^dthe traitor betrays,
and the destroyer destroys.
Go up, O ^eElam;
lay siege, O ^fMedia;
all the ^gsighing she has caused
I bring to an end.
3 Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;
^hpangs have seized me,
like the pangs of a woman in labor;
I am bowed down so that I cannot hear;
I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
4 My heart staggers; horror has appalled me;
ⁱthe twilight I longed for
has been turned for me into trembling.
5 ^jThey prepare the table,
they spread the rugs, ^{▼▼Or they set the watchman}
they eat, they drink.
Arise, O princes;
^loil the shield!
6 For thus the Lord said to me:
“Go, set a watchman;
let him announce what he sees.
7 When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs,
riders on donkeys, riders on camels,
let him listen diligently,
very diligently.”
8 Then he who saw cried out: ^{▼▼Dead Sea Scroll, Syriac; Masoretic Text Then a lion cried out, or Then he cried out like a lion}
ⁿ“Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord,
continually by day,
and at my post I am stationed
whole nights.
9 And behold, here come riders,
horsemen in pairs!”
^oAnd he answered,
^p“Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
^qand all the carved images of her gods
he has shattered to the ground.”
10 O ^rmy threshed and winnowed one,
what I have heard from the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel, I announce to you.

11 The ^soracle concerning ^tDumah.

One is calling to me from ^uSeir,
“Watchman, what time of the night?
Watchman, what time of the night?”
12 The watchman says:
“Morning comes, and also ^vthe night.
If you will inquire, ^winquire;
come back again.”

13 The ^xoracle concerning ^yArabia.

In the thickets in ^zArabia you will lodge,
O ^aacaravans of ^abDedanites.
14 To the thirsty bring water;
meet the fugitive with bread,
O inhabitants of the land of ^acTema.
15 For they have fled from the swords,
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow,
and from the press of battle.

16 For thus the Lord said to me, “Within a year, ^adaccording to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of ^aeKedar will come to an end. 17 And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of ^afKedar will be few, ^agfor the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.”