Book of Isaiah, Chapter 21
Isaiah 21 NASB - New American Standard BibleChapter 21 of Isaiah—New American Standard Bible (NASB)
- ¶ The [a]1oracle concerning the [b]2wilderness of the sea.
¶ As 3windstorms in the [c]Negev sweep on,
It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land. - A 4harsh vision has been shown to me;
The 5treacherous one still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys.
Go up, 6Elam, lay siege, Media;
I have made an end of all [d]the groaning she has caused. - For this reason my 7loins are full of anguish;
Pains have seized me like the pains of a 8woman in labor.
I am so bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see. - My [e]mind reels, [f]horror overwhelms me;
The twilight I longed for has been 9turned for me into trembling. - They 10set the table, they [g]spread out the cloth, they eat, they drink;
“Rise up, captains, oil the shields,” - ¶ For thus the Lord says to me,
¶ “Go, station the lookout, let him 11report what he sees. - “When he sees 12riders, horsemen in pairs,
A train of donkeys, a train of camels,
Let him pay close attention, very close attention.” - ¶ Then [h]the lookout called,
¶ “13O Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower,
And I am stationed every night at my guard post. - “Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs.”
And one said, “14Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
And all the 15images of her gods [i]are shattered on the ground.” - O my 16threshed 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. - ¶ The [k]oracle concerning [l]17Edom.
¶ One keeps calling to me from 18Seir,
“Watchman, [m]how far gone is the night?
Watchman, [n]how far gone is the night?” - The watchman says,
“Morning comes but also night.
If you would inquire, inquire;
Come back again.” - ¶ The [o]oracle about 19Arabia.
¶ In the thickets of Arabia you [p]must spend the night,
O caravans of 20Dedanites. - Bring water [q]for the thirsty,
O inhabitants of the land of 21Tema,
Meet the fugitive with bread. - For they have 22fled from the swords,
From the drawn sword, and from the bent bow
And from the press of battle. - ¶ For thus the Lord said to me, “In a 23year, as [r]a hired man would count it, all the splendor of 24Kedar will terminate;
- and the 25remainder of the number of bowmen, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few; for the LORD God of Israel 26has spoken.”
FOOTNOTES
- ^ Or burden of
- ^ Or sandy wastes, sea country
- ^ I.e. South country
- ^ Lit her groaning
- ^ Lit heart has wandered
- ^ Lit shuddering
- ^ Or spread out the rugs or possibly they arranged the seating
- ^ So DSS; M.T. he called like a lion
- ^ Lit he has shattered to the earth
- ^ Lit son
- ^ Or burden
- ^ So the Gr; Heb Dumah, silence
- ^ Lit what is the time of the night?
- ^ Lit what is the time of the night?
- ^ Or burden
- ^ Or will spend
- ^ Lit to meet
- ^ Lit the years of a hireling
REFERENCES
- ^ Is 13:1
- ^ Is 13:20-22; 14:23; Je 51:42
- ^ Zc 9:14
- ^ Ps 60:3
- ^ Is 24:16; 33:1
- ^ Is 22:6; Je 49:34
- ^ Is 13:8; 16:11
- ^ Ps 48:6; Is 13:8; 26:17; 1Th 5:3
- ^ De 28:67
- ^ Je 51:39, 57; Da 5:1-4
- ^ 2Ki 9:17-20
- ^ Is 21:9
- ^ Hab 2:1
- ^ Is 13:19; 47:5, 9; 48:14; Je 51:8; Re 14:8; 18:2
- ^ Is 46:1; Je 50:2; 51:44
- ^ Je 51:33; Mc 4:13
- ^ Ge 25:14
- ^ Ge 32:3
- ^ Je 25:23, 24; 49:28
- ^ Ge 10:7; Eze 27:15
- ^ Ge 25:15; Jb 6:19
- ^ Is 13:14, 15; 17:13
- ^ Is 16:14
- ^ Ps 120:5; Sg 1:5; Is 42:11; 60:7; Eze 27:21
- ^ Is 10:19
- ^ Nu 23:19; Zc 1:6
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