Holman Christian Standard Bible CSB
English Standard Version ESV
1 An oracle against the desert by the sea: Like storms that pass over the Negev, it comes from the desert, from the land of terror.
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The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on, it comes from the wilderness, from a terrible land.
2 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 her groaning."
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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.
3 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.
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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.
4 My heart staggers; horror terrifies me. He has turned my last glimmer of hope into sheer terror.
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My heart staggers; horror has appalled me; the twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling.
5 Prepare a table, and spread out a carpet! Eat and drink! Rise up, you princes, and oil the shields!
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They prepare the table, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink. Arise, O princes; oil the shield!
6 For the Lord has said to me, "Go, post a lookout; let him report what he sees.
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For thus the Lord said to me: “Go, set a watchman; let him announce what he sees.
7 When he sees riders- pairs of horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels- pay close attention."
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When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently. ”
8 Then the lookout reported, "Lord, I stand on the watchtower all day, and I stay at my post all night.
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Then he who saw cried out: “Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and at my post I am stationed whole nights.
9 Look, riders come- horsemen in pairs." And he answered, saying, "Babylon has fallen, has fallen. All the idols of her gods have been shattered on the ground."
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And behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs! ” And he answered, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground. ”
10 My downtrodden and threshed people, I have declared to you what I have heard from the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel.
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O my threshed and winnowed one, what I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I announce to you.
11 An oracle against Dumah: One calls to me from Seir, "Watchman, what is [left] of the night? Watchman, what is [left] of the night?"
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The oracle concerning Dumah. One is calling to me from Seir, “Watchman, what time of the night? Watchman, what time of the night? ”
12 The watchman said, "Morning has come, and also night. If you want to ask, ask! Come back again."
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The watchman says: “Morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; come back again. ”
13 An oracle against Arabia: You will camp for the night in the scrublands of the desert, you caravans of Dedanites.
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The oracle concerning Arabia. In the thickets in Arabia you will lodge, O caravans of Dedanites.
14 Bring water for the thirsty. The inhabitants of the land of Tema meet the refugees with food.
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To the thirsty bring water; meet the fugitive with bread, O inhabitants of the land of Tema.
15 For they have fled from swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, from the stress of battle.
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For they have fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the press of battle.
16 For the Lord said this to me: "Within one year, as a hired worker counts years, all the glory of Kedar will be gone.
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For thus the Lord said to me, “Within a year, according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end.
17 The remaining Kedarite archers will be few in number." For the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.
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And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar will be few, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken. ”
Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025