1 T he burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it comes from the wilderness, from an awesome land.

The mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning the Desert of the Sea: As whirlwinds in the South (the Negeb) sweep through, so it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.

2 A grievous vision is declared to me. The treacherous man deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam; attack! I have stopped all of Media’s sighing.

A hard and grievous vision is declared to me: the treacherous dealer deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All the sighing I will cause to cease.

3 T herefore my thighs are filled with anguish. Pains have taken hold on me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am in so much pain that I can’t hear. I so am dismayed that I can’t see.

Therefore are my loins filled with anguish, pangs have seized me like the pangs of a woman in childbirth; I am bent and pained so that I cannot hear, I am dismayed so that I cannot see.

4 M y heart flutters. Horror has frightened me. The twilight that I desired has been turned into trembling for me.

My mind reels and wanders, horror terrifies me. The twilight I looked forward to with pleasure has been turned into fear and trembling for me.

5 T hey prepare the table. They set the watch. They eat. They drink. Rise up, you princes, oil the shield!

They prepare the table, they spread the rugs, set the watchers, they eat, they drink. Arise, you princes, and oil your shields!

6 F or the Lord said to me, “Go, set a watchman. Let him declare what he sees.

For thus has the Lord said to me: Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees.

7 W hen he sees a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, a troop of camels, he shall listen diligently with great attentiveness.”

And when he sees a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, and a troop of camels, he shall listen diligently, very diligently.

8 H e cried like a lion: “Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and every night I stay at my post.

And cried like a lion, O Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my station every night.

9 B ehold, here comes a troop of men, horsemen in pairs.” He answered, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the engraved images of her gods are broken to the ground.

And see! Here comes a troop of men and chariots, horsemen in pairs! And he tells: Babylon has fallen, has fallen! And all the graven images of her gods lie shattered on the ground!

10 Y ou are my threshing, and the grain of my floor!” That which I have heard from Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, I have declared to you.

O you my threshed and winnowed ones, that which I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have announced to you!

11 T he burden of Dumah. One calls to me out of Seir, “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?”

The mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Dumah (Edom): One calls to me from Seir (Edom), Watchman, what of the night? Guardian, what of the night?

12 T he watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire. Come back again.”

The watchman said, The morning comes, but also the night. if you will inquire, inquire; return, come again.

13 T he burden on Arabia. In the forest in Arabia you will lodge, you caravans of Dedanites.

The mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Arabia: In the forests and thickets of Arabia you shall lodge, O you caravans of Dedanites.

14 T hey brought water to him who was thirsty. The inhabitants of the land of Tema met the fugitives with their bread.

To the thirsty bring water, O inhabitants of the land of Tema; meet the fugitive with bread for him.

15 F or they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the heat of battle.

For they have fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

16 F or the Lord said to me, “Within a year, as a worker bound by contract would count it, all the glory of Kedar will fail,

For the Lord has said this to me, Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar will fail.

17 a nd the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, will be few; for Yahweh, the God of Israel, has spoken it.”

And the remainder of the number of archers and their bows, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be diminished and few; for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken it.