The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
King James Version KJV
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 burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.
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 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.
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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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.
4 My mind reels, shuddering assails me. The twilight I longed for terrifies me.
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My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.
5 They set the table, light the lamps, eat and drink - "Get going, princes! Oil the shields!"
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Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.
6 For this is what Adonai said to me: "Go, post a watchman to report what he sees!
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For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
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 he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:
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 he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:
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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And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.
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 threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.
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 burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of 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 said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.
13 A prophecy about Arabia: You caravans of D'danim will camp in the desert growth of Arabia.
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The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.
14 Bring water to the thirsty, you who live in Teima, greet the fugitives with food;
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The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.
15 because they are fleeing the sword, the drawn sword, the bent bow and the press of battle.
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For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness 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 thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:
17 Few of Kedar's valiant archers will be left. " ADONAI the God of Isra'el has spoken.
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And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The King James Version is in the public domain.