Isaiah 21:2–4

A stern vision is told to me;

the traitor betrays,

and the destroyer destroys.

Go up, O Elam;

lay siege, O Media;

all the sighing she has caused

I bring to an end.

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.

My heart staggers; horror has appalled me;

the twilight I longed for

has been turned for me into trembling.

A dire vision has been shown to me:

The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot.

Elam, attack! Media, lay siege!

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

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.

My heart falters,

fear makes me tremble;

the twilight I longed for

has become a horror to me.

A troubling vision is declared to me:

“The treacherous one acts treacherously,

and the destroyer destroys.

Advance, Elam! Lay siege, you Medes!

I will put an end to all the groaning.”

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.

My heart staggers;

horror terrifies me.

He has turned my last glimmer of hope

into sheer terror.

I see a terrifying vision:

I see the betrayer betraying,

the destroyer destroying.

Go ahead, you Elamites and Medes,

attack and lay siege.

I will make an end

to all the groaning Babylon caused.

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.

My mind reels and my heart races.

I longed for evening to come,

but now I am terrified of the dark.

A hard revelation is told to me;

the treacherous deals treacherously,

and the destroyer destroys.

Go up, Elam;

lay siege, Media!

I put an end to all of her sighing.

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.

My mind staggers; fear terrifies me;

the twilight I desired brought me fear.

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.

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.

My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me:

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