New International Version NIV
American Standard Version ASV
1 A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.
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The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it cometh from the wilderness, from a terrible land.
2 A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.
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A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous man dealeth treacherously, and the destroyer destroyeth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.
3 At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see.
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Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
4 My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.
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My heart fluttereth, horror hath affrighted me; the twilight that I desired hath been turned into trembling unto me.
5 They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields!
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They prepare the table, they set the watch, they eat, they drink: rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield.
6 This is what the Lord says to me: “Go, post a lookout and have him 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 When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert.”
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and when he seeth a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.
8 And the lookout shouted, “Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post.
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And he cried as a lion: O Lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights;
9 Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!’ ”
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and, behold, here cometh a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.
10 My people who are crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the LORD Almighty, from the God of Israel.
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O thou my threshing, and the grain of my floor! that which I have heard from Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.
11 A prophecy against Dumah : Someone calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?”
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The burden of Dumah. One calleth unto me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
12 The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again.”
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The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: turn ye, come.
13 A prophecy against Arabia: You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
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The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanites.
14 bring water for the thirsty; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives.
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Unto him that was thirsty they brought water; the inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitives with their bread.
15 They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle.
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For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
16 This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the splendor 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 a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall fail;
17 The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.
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and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be few; for Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.