Isa Isaiah, chapter Book of Isaiah, chapter 21
God Commands That Babylon Be Taken
The pronouncement concerning the 21:1 Or sandy wastes, sea countrywilderness of the sea:
As windstorms in the 21:1 I.e., South countryNegev come in turns,
It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land.
A harsh vision has been shown to me;
The treacherous one still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys.
Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media;
I have put an end to all 21:2 Lit her groaningthe groaning she has caused.Isa 22:6; Jer 49:35; Act 2:9
For this reason my loins are full of anguish;
Pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in labor.
I am so bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see.Jer 4:19; Mic 1:8; Isa 13:8
My 21:4 Lit heart has wanderedmind reels, 21:4 Lit shudderinghorror overwhelms me;
The twilight I longed for has been turned into trembling for me.Isa 15:5
They set the table, they 21:5 Or spread out the rugs or possibly they arranged the seatingspread out the cloth, they eat, they drink;
“Rise up, captains, oil the shields!”Jer 6:4
For this is what the Lord says to me:
“Go, station the lookout, have him report what he sees.Psa 121:4
“When he sees 21:7 Or ridersa column of chariots, horsemen in pairs,
A train of donkeys, a train of camels,
He is to pay close attention, very close attention.”
Then 21:8 As in DSS; MT he called like a lionthe lookout called,
“Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower,
And I am stationed every night at my guard post.Hab 2:1
“Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs.”
And one said, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
And all the images of her gods 21:9 Lit he has shattered to the earthare shattered on the ground.”Jer 51:8; Rev 14:8; Rev 18:2; Rev 18:10
My downtrodden people, and my 21:10 Lit sonafflicted of the threshing floor!
What I have heard from the Lord of armies,
The God of Israel, I make known to you.Isa 25:10; Jer 51:33; Mic 4:13
Pronouncements about Edom and Arabia
The pronouncement concerning 21:11 As in LXX; MT Dumah, silenceEdom:
One keeps calling to me from Seir,
“Watchman, 21:11 Lit what is the time of the night?how far gone is the night?
Watchman, 21:11 Lit what is the time of the night?how far gone is the night?”
The watchman says,
“Morning comes but also night.
If you would inquire, inquire;
Come back again.”
The pronouncement about Arabia:
In the thickets of Arabia you 21:13 Or will spendmust spend the night,
You caravans of Dedanites.Jer 25:23
Bring water 21:14 Lit to meetfor the thirsty,
You inhabitants of the land of Tema;
Meet the fugitive with bread.Gen 25:3; Gen 25:15
For they have fled from the swords,
From the drawn sword, and from the bent bow,
And from the press of battle.
For this is what the Lord said to me: “In a year, as 21:16 Lit the years of a hireda hired worker would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end; Isa 16:14; Jer 49:28and the remainder of the number of bowmen, the warriors of the sons of Kedar, will be few; for the Lord God of Israel has spoken.”Isa 22:25; Isa 25:8