Isaiah 21:3–5

3 At this my body is racked with pain,

pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;

I am staggered by what I hear,

I am bewildered by what I see.

4 My heart falters,

fear makes me tremble;

the twilight I longed for

has become a horror to me.

5 They set the tables,

they spread the rugs,

they eat, they drink!

Get up, you officers,

oil the shields!

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.

4 My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me:

The night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink:

Arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

3 My stomach aches and burns with pain.

Sharp pangs of anguish are upon me,

like those of a woman in labor.

I grow faint when I hear what God is planning;

I am too afraid to look.

4 My mind reels and my heart races.

I longed for evening to come,

but now I am terrified of the dark.

5 Look! They are preparing a great feast.

They are spreading rugs for people to sit on.

Everyone is eating and drinking.

But quick! Grab your shields and prepare for battle.

You are being attacked!

3 Therefore my loins are filled with pain;

Pangs have taken hold of me, like the pangs of a woman in labor.

I was distressed when I heard it;

I was dismayed when I saw it.

4 My heart wavered, fearfulness frightened me;

The night for which I longed He turned into fear for me.

5 Prepare the table,

Set a watchman in the tower,

Eat and drink.

Arise, you princes,

Anoint the shield!

3 I saw those terrible things, and now I am in pain;

my pains are like the pains of giving birth.

What I hear makes me very afraid;

what I see causes me to shake with fear.

4 I am worried,

and I am shaking with fear.

My pleasant evening

has become a night of fear.

5 They set the table;

they spread the rugs;

they eat and drink.

Leaders, stand up.

Prepare the shields for battle!

3 Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see. 4 My heart fluttereth, horror hath affrighted me; the twilight that I desired hath been turned into trembling unto me. 5 They prepare the table, they set the watch, they eat, they drink: rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield.

3 Therefore are my loins filled with pain; anguish hath taken hold upon me, as the anguish of a woman in travail: I am bowed down so as not to hear, I am dismayed so as not to see. 4 My heart panteth, horror affrighteth me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into trembling unto me. 5 Prepare the table, appoint the watch; eat, drink: arise, ye princes, anoint the shield.

3 That is why my body is full of trembling. 

Pain grips me like the pain of childbirth. 

I’m disturbed by what I hear. 

I’m terrified by what I see. 

4 I’m confused. 

I’m shaking with terror. 

The twilight hours I longed for make me tremble. 

5 Set the table. 

Spread the rugs ⸤by the table⸥. 

Eat. Drink. 

Get up, you leaders! 

Prepare your shields for battle! 

3 Therefore I am filled with anguish.

Pain grips me, like the pain of a woman in labor.

I am too perplexed to hear,

too dismayed to see.

4 My heart staggers;

horror terrifies me.

He has turned my last glimmer of hope

into sheer terror.

5 Prepare a table, and spread out a carpet!

Eat and drink!

Rise up, you princes, and oil the shields!

3 Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;

pangs 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 mind reels; horror has appalled me;

the twilight I longed for

has been turned for me into trembling.

5 They prepare the table;

they spread the rugs;

they eat; they drink.

Rise up, commanders;

oil the shield!

3 Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;

pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman giving birth.

I am too bent to hear,

I am too dismayed to see.

4 My mind staggers; fear terrifies me;

the twilight I desired brought me fear.

5 Set out the table in order!

Spread out the rugs!

Eat! drink!

Rise up, commanders;

smear the shield!

3 The vision fills my body with pain.

Pains take hold of me.

They are like the pains of a woman having a baby.

I am shaken by what I hear.

I’m terrified by what I see.

4 My heart grows weak.

Fear makes me tremble.

I longed for evening to come.

But it brought me horror instead of rest.

5 In my vision the Babylonians set the tables.

They spread the rugs out.

They eat. They drink.

Get up, you officers!

Rub your shields with oil!

3 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.

4 My mind reels, horror overwhelms me;

The twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling.

5 They set the table, they spread out the cloth, they eat, they drink;

“Rise up, captains, oil the shields,”