The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 A prophecy about the coastal desert: Like whirlwinds sweeping over the Negev, it comes from the desert, from a fearsome land.
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The word about the waste land. As storm-winds in the South go rushing through, it comes from the waste land, from the land greatly to be feared.
2 A dire vision has been shown to me: the betrayer betrays, and the spoiler spoils. 'Eilam, advance! Madai, lay siege! I will end all groaning.
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A vision of fear comes before my eyes; the worker of deceit goes on in his false way, and the waster goes on making waste. Up! Elam; to the attack! Media; I have put an end to her sorrow.
3 This is why my insides are racked with pain; I am seized by pangs, like a woman in labor; wrenched by what I hear, aghast at what I see.
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For this cause I am full of bitter grief; pains like the pains of a woman in childbirth have come on me: I am bent down with sorrow at what comes to my ears; I am shocked by what I see.
4 My mind reels, shuddering assails me. The twilight I longed for terrifies me.
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My mind is wandering, fear has overcome me: the evening of my desire has been turned into shaking for me.
5 They set the table, light the lamps, eat and drink - "Get going, princes! Oil the shields!"
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They make ready the table, they put down the covers, they take food and drink. Up! you captains; put oil on your breastplates.
6 For this is what Adonai said to me: "Go, post a watchman to report what he sees!
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For so has the Lord said to me, Go, let a watchman be placed; let him give word of what he sees:
7 If he sees the cavalry, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, he must be on alert, on full alert!"
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And when he sees war-carriages, horsemen by twos, war-carriages with asses, war-carriages with camels, let him give special attention.
8 He calls out like a lion: "My lord, I stand on the watchtower all day long, I stay at my post all night."
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And the watchman gave a loud cry, O my lord, I am on the watchtower all day, and am placed in my watch every night:
9 Then, as they appeared - the cavalry, horsemen in pairs - he spoke these words: "She has fallen! She has fallen - Bavel! All the carved images of her gods lie shattered on the ground."
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See, here come war-carriages with men, horsemen by twos: and in answer he said, Babylon is made low, is made low, and all her images are broken on the earth.
10 My people, who have been threshed, grain trodden down on my threshing-floor: I am telling you what I have heard from ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el.
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O my crushed ones, the grain of my floor! I have given you the word which came to me from the Lord of armies, the God of Israel.
11 A prophecy about Dumah: Someone is calling to me from Se'ir: "Watchman, how much longer is it night? Watchman, how much longer is it night?"
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The word about Edom. A voice comes to me from Seir, Watchman, how far gone is the night? how far gone is the night?
12 The watchman answers: "Morning is coming, but also the night. If you want to ask, ask! Come back again!"
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The watchman says, The morning has come, but night is still to come: if you have questions to put, put them, and come back again.
13 A prophecy about Arabia: You caravans of D'danim will camp in the desert growth of Arabia.
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The word about Arabia. In the thick woods of Arabia will be your night's resting-place, O travelling bands of Dedanites!
14 Bring water to the thirsty, you who live in Teima, greet the fugitives with food;
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Give water to him who is in need of water; give bread, O men of the land of Tema, to those in flight.
15 because they are fleeing the sword, the drawn sword, the bent bow and the press of battle.
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For they are in flight from the sharp sword, and the bent bow, and from the trouble of war.
16 For this is what Adonai has told me: "Within a year [and not a day more], as if a hired worker were keeping track of the time, the glory of Kedar will come to an end.
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For so has the Lord said to me, In a year, by the years of a servant working for payment, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end:
17 Few of Kedar's valiant archers will be left. " ADONAI the God of Isra'el has spoken.
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And the rest of the bowmen, the men of war of the children of Kedar, will be small in number: for the Lord, the God of Israel, has said it.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.