Isaiah 21:1–10

A Prophecy Against Babylon

21 A prophecyq against the Desertr by the Sea:

Like whirlwindss sweeping through the southland,t

an invader comes from the desert,

from a land of terror.

2 A direu vision has been shown to me:

The traitor betrays,v the looter takes loot.

Elam,w attack! Media,x lay siege!

I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.

3 At this my body is racked with pain,y

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

I am staggered by what I hear,

I am bewildereda by what I see.

4 My heartb falters,

fear makes me tremble;c

the twilight I longed for

has become a horrord to me.

5 They set the tables,

they spread the rugs,

they eat, they drink!e

Get up, you officers,

oil the shields!f

6 This is what the Lord says to me:

“Go, post a lookoutg

and have him report what he sees.

7 When he sees chariotsh

with teams of horses,

riders on donkeys

or riders on camels,i

let him be alert,

fully alert.”

8 And the lookouta j shouted,

“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;

every night I stay at my post.

9 Look, here comes a man in a chariotk

with a team of horses.

And he gives back the answer:

‘Babylonl has fallen,m has fallen!

All the images of its godsn

lie shatteredo on the ground!’ ”

10 My people who are crushed on the threshing floor,p

I tell you what I have heard

from the Lord Almighty,

from the God of Israel.