Read Isaiah chapter 21 (Contemporary English Version) on maBible, the Bible online. In this chapter: The Fall of Babylonia, How Much Longer?.
The Fall of Babylonia
1 This is a message about a desert beside the sea:
Enemies from a hostile nation
attack like a whirlwind
from the Southern Desert.
2 What a horrible vision
was shown to me—
a vision of betrayal
and destruction.
Tell Elam and Media
to surround and attack
the Babylonians.
The Lord has sworn to end
the suffering they caused.
3 I'm in terrible pain
like a woman giving birth.
I'm shocked and hurt so much
that I can't hear or see.
4 My head spins; I'm horrified!
Early evening, my favorite time,
has become a nightmare.
5 In Babylon the high officials
were having a feast.
They were eating and drinking,
when someone shouted,
“Officers, take your places!
Grab your shields.”
6 The Lord said to me,
“Send guards
to find out
what's going on.
7 When they see cavalry troops
and columns of soldiers
on donkeys and camels,
tell them to be ready!”
8 Then a guard said,
“I have stood day and night
on this watchtower, Lord.
9 Now I see column after column
of cavalry troops.”
At once someone shouted,
“Babylon has fallen!
Every idol in the city
lies broken on the ground.”
10 Then I said, “My people,
you have suffered terribly,
but I have a message for you
from the Lord All-Powerful,
the God of Israel.”
How Much Longer?
11 This is a message about Dumah:
From the country of Seir,
someone shouts to me,
“Guard, how much longer
before daylight?”
12 From my guard post, I answered,
“Morning will soon be here,
but night will return.
If you want to know more,
come back later.”
13 This is a message for Arabs who live in the barren desert in the region of Dedan:
You must order your caravans
14 to bring water for those
who are thirsty.
You people of Tema
must bring food
for the hungry refugees.
15 They are worn out and weary
from being chased by enemies
with swords and arrows.
16 The Lord said to me:
A year from now the glory of the people of Kedar will all come to an end, just as a worker's contract ends after a year.
17 Only a few of their warriors will be left with bows and arrows. This is a promise that I, the Lord God of Israel, have made.
Chapter themes
Un message prophétique — Message sur le désert maritime
Babylone réduite au désert — le désert maritime
Pareil à l'ouragan — Pareil à l'ouragan qui progresse dans le Néguev
Venu du pays redoutable — il vient du désert, du pays redoutable
Une vision terrible — Une vision terrible m'a été révélée
Le traître trahit — Le traître trahit, le dévastateur dévaste
A l'attaque, Elam — A l'attaque, Elam! A l'assaut, Médie!
Fin des gémissements — Je mets fin à tous les gémissements
Rempli d'angoisses — je suis rempli d'angoisses
Douleurs de l'enfantement — pareilles aux douleurs d'une femme en train d'accoucher
Le tremblement d'effroi — le tremblement de voir
Le festin insouciant — on mange, on boit…
Debout, princes ! — Debout, princes! Graissez le bouclier!
La sentinelle voit — Il verra un char, un attelage à deux chevaux
Être très attentif — Qu'il soit attentif, très attentif.
Un cri de lion — pareil à un lion
Sur le poste de guet — je me tiens sur mon poste de guet toute la journée
L'attelage qui arrive — voici qu'arrive un char, un homme sur un attelage à deux chevaux
Babylone est tombée — Elle est tombée, elle est tombée, Babylone
Les idoles brisées — toutes les sculptures sacrées de ses dieux sont en pièces par terre
Écouter avec attention — Il prit encore la parole
Battu comme du grain — battu comme pour extraire du grain dans mon aire
Je vous l'ai annoncé — ce que j'ai appris de l'Eternel […] je vous l'ai annoncé
Le nom de Douma — Message sur Douma
Séir et Édom — On me crie de Séir
La sentinelle interrogée — Sentinelle, quelle nouvelle de la nuit?
Le matin arrive — Le matin arrive, mais aussi la nuit
Convertissez-vous et venez — Convertissez-vous et venez!
Notes and references
This … sea: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. The prophet may be speaking of Babylonia as a desert, because of the terrible punishment God will bring on it. The southern part of Babylonia on the Persian Gulf was sometimes called “the land beside the sea.”
Elam and Media: People from the Iranian highlands; the capital of Elam was Susa, in the hill country east of Babylon.
guard: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text has “lion.”
21.9 Rev 14.8; 18.2.
Dumah … Seir: Dumah was an oasis in the Arabian desert. One ancient translation has “Edom,” which may be what is meant. Seir is a mountainous region of Edom southwest of the Dead Sea.