The Fall Of Babylon
1 The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.
1 The (a)(A)oracle concerning the (b)(B)wilderness of the sea.As (C)windstorms in the (c)Negev sweep on,It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land.
1 An oracle(A) against the desert by the sea:(B)Like storms that pass over the Negev,it comes from the desert, from the land of terror.
1 A message concerning the pasture by the Sea. "Like whirlwinds in the Negev sweep on, it comes from the desert, from a distant land.
2 A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.
2 A (D)harsh vision has been shown to me;The (E)treacherous one still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys.Go up, (F)Elam, lay siege, Media;I have made an end of all (d)the groaning she has caused.
2 A troubling vision is declared to me:“The treacherous one acts treacherously,(C)and the destroyer destroys.Advance, Elam! Lay siege, you Medes!I will put an end to all her groaning.”
2 A dire vision has been announced to me: the traitor betrays, and the plunderer takes loot. Get up, Elam! Attack, Media! I am putting a stop to all the groaning she has caused.
3 Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.
3 For this reason my (G)loins are full of anguish;Pains have seized me like the pains of a (H)woman in labor.I am so bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see.
3 Therefore I am(a) filled with anguish.Pain grips me, like the pain of a woman in labor.(D)I am too perplexed to hear,too dismayed to see.
3 Therefore my body is racked with pain; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor; I am so upset that I cannot hear; I am so frightened that I cannot see while I'm reeling around.
3 Therefore [continues Isaiah] my loins are filled with anguish;Pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in childbirth;I am so bent and bewildered that I cannot hear, I am so terrified that I cannot see.
4 My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.
4 My (e)mind reels, (f)horror overwhelms me;The twilight I longed for has been (I)turned for me into trembling.
4 My heart staggers;horror terrifies me.He has turned my last glimmer of hope(b)into sheer terror.(E)
4 And as for my heart, horror has terrified me; the twilight I longed for has started to make me tremble.
5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.
5 They (J)set the table, they (g)spread out the cloth, they eat, they drink;“Rise up, captains, oil the shields,”
5 Prepare a table,(F) and spread out a carpet!Eat and drink!Rise up, you princes, and oil the shields!
5 They set the tables; they spread the carpets; they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers! Oil the shields!"
5 They set the table [for the doomed banquet], they spread out the cloth, they eat, they drink;“Rise up, captains [of Belshazzar’s court], oil your shields [for battle, for your enemy is at the gates]!”
6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
6 For the Lord has said to me,“Go, post a lookout;let him report what he sees.
6 For this is what the LORD told me: "Go post a lookout. Have him report what he sees.
6 This is what the Lord says to me,“Go, station the lookout, let him report what he sees.
7 And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:
7 “When he sees (L)riders, horsemen in pairs,A train of donkeys, a train of camels,Let him pay close attention, very close attention.”
7 When he sees riders—pairs of horsemen,riders on donkeys,riders on camels—he must pay close attention.”
7 When he sees chariots, each man with a pair of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him pay attention, full attention."
7 “When he sees a chariot, horsemen in pairs,A train of donkeys and a train of camels,Let him pay attention and listen closely, very closely.”
8 And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:
8 Then (h)the lookout called,“(M)O Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower,And I am stationed every night at my guard post.
8 Then the lookout(c) reported,“Lord, I stand on the watchtower all day,(G)and I stay at my post all night.
8 Then the lookout shouted: "Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and I am stationed at my post throughout the night.
8 And the lookout called like a lion,“O Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower by day,And I am stationed every night at my guard post.
9 And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.
9 “Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs.”And one said, “(N)Fallen, fallen is Babylon;And all the (O)images of her gods (i)are shattered on the ground.”
9 Look, riders come—horsemen in pairs.”And he answered, saying,“Babylon has fallen,(H) has fallen.All the images of her godshave been shattered on the ground.”(I)
9 Look! Here come riders, each man with a pair of horses!" They're shouting out the answer: "Babylon has fallen, has fallen, and they have shattered all the images of her gods on the ground!
9 “Now look! Here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs.”And one said, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon;And all the carved images of her gods are shattered on the ground.”
10 O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.
10 O my (P)threshed people, and my (j)afflicted of the threshing floor!What I have heard from the Lord of hosts,The God of Israel, I make known to you.
10 My people who have been crushedon the threshing floor,(J)I have declared to youwhat I have heard from the Lord of Hosts,the God of Israel.
10 O my downtrodden people, my wall! I'll tell you what I have heard from the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel."
10 O my threshed people [Judah, who must be judged and trampled down by Babylon], my afflicted of the threshing floor.What I have heard from the Lord of hosts,The God of Israel, I have [joyfully] announced to you [that Babylon is to fall].
Oracle Regarding Dumah
11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
11 The (k)oracle concerning (l)(Q)Edom.One keeps calling to me from (R)Seir,“Watchman, (m)how far gone is the night?Watchman, (n)how far gone is the night?”
11 An oracle(K) against Dumah:(d)(L)One calls to me from Seir,(M)“Watchman, what is left of the night?Watchman, what is left of the night?”
11 A message concerning Dumah. "Someone is calling to me from Seir: "Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?'
12 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come.
12 The watchman says,“Morning comes but also night.If you would inquire, inquire;Come back again.”
12 The watchman said,“Morning has come, and also night.If you want to ask, ask!Come back again.”
12 The watchman replies: "Morning is coming, but also the night. If you want to ask, then ask; come back again.'"
12 The watchman says,“The morning comes [only briefly], but also [comes] the night [of Babylonian oppression].If you would ask [of me then], ask [again, if Edom really wishes to know];Come back again.”
Oracle Against Arabia
13 The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.
13 The (o)oracle about (S)Arabia.In the thickets of Arabia you (p)must spend the night,O caravans of (T)Dedanites.
13 An oracle against Arabia:(N)In the desert(e) brushyou will camp for the night,you caravans of Dedanites.(O)
13 A message concerning Arabia. "You will camp in the thickets in Arabia, you caravans of the Dedanites.
14 The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.
14 Bring water (q)for the thirsty,O inhabitants of the land of (U)Tema,Meet the fugitive with bread.
14 Bring water for the thirsty.The inhabitants of the land of Tema(P)meet(f) the refugees with food.
14 Bring water for the thirsty, you who live in the land of Tema. Meet the fugitive with bread,
14 Bring water for the thirsty [Dedanites],O inhabitants of the land of Tema [in Arabia];Meet the fugitive with bread.
15 For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
15 For they have (V)fled from the swords,From the drawn sword, and from the bent bowAnd from the press of battle.
15 For they have fled from swords,from the drawn sword,from the bow that is strung,and from the stress of battle.
15 For he has fled from swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the heat of battle."
15 For they have fled from the swords,From the drawn sword, from the bent bowAnd from the press of battle and grief of war.
16 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:
16 For thus the Lord said to me, “In a (W)year, as (r)a hired man would count it, all the splendor of (X)Kedar will terminate;
16 For the Lord said this to me: “Within one year,(Q) as a hired worker counts years, all the glory of Kedar(R) will be gone.
16 For this is what the LORD is saying to me: "Within three years, according to the years of a contract worker, the pomp of Kedar will come to an end.
16 For the Lord has said this to me, “Within a year, according to the years of a hired man [who will work no longer than was agreed], all the splendor of [the tribe of] Kedar will end;
17 And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.
17 and the (Y)remainder of the number of bowmen, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few; for the Lord God of Israel (Z)has spoken.”
17 The remaining Kedarite archers will be few in number.” For the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.
17 And there will be few archers, those who are descendants of Kedar, who survive, because the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken."
17 and the remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few; for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.”