New International Version NIV
Orthodox Jewish Bible OJB
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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1 The massa (burden) concerning the Midbar Yam (desert by the sea). As sufot (whirlwinds) in the Negev sweep through; so it cometh from the midbar, from eretz nora’ah.
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 chazut kashah (harsh vision) is declared unto me; the boged (traitor) dealeth treacherously, and the shoded (destroyer) destroyeth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the groaning she [Babylon] caused 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 pain; tzirim (pangs) have taken hold upon me, as the tzirim (pangs) of a woman in labor; I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.
4 My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.
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My lev panted, fearfulness seized upon me; the neshef (twilight) of my longing hath become unto me as kharadah (shuddering horror).
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 are] setting the shulchan, spreading the tzafit (dining carpet), to eat, to drink; arise, ye sarim (princes), and anoint the mogen.
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 Adonoi said unto me, Go, post the metzapeh (watchman), let him report 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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When he sees riders with a pair of parashim, donkey riders and camel riders, then he pays heed diligently with great care;
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 the one seeing cried out, Adoni, I stand continually on the mitzpeh (watchtower) in the daytime, and I am set in my mishmeret (guard duty) kol halailot (every night),
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, hinei, here cometh a merkavah with a man, a pair of parashim. And he answered and said, Bavel (Babylon) is fallen, is fallen; and all the pesilim (images) of her elohim (g-ds) hath been shattered on 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 my threshed [people], and the grain of my goren (threshing floor); that which I have heard of Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel, 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 massa (burden) of Dumah [Edom]. One calleth to me out of Seir [Edom], Shomer (watchman), what of the lailah? Shomer, what of the lailah?
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 shomer said, The boker cometh, and also the lailah; if ye will inquire, inquire ye; shuvu (return), come.
13 A prophecy against Arabia: You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
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The massa (burden) concerning Arabia. In the ya’ar (forest) of Arabia shall ye encamp O ye caravans of Dedanim.
14 bring water for the thirsty; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives.
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The inhabitants of Eretz Tema brought mayim to him that was tzameh (thirsty), they met with their lechem him that fled.
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 from the charavot (swords), from the drawn cherev, and from the bent keshet (bow), and from the grievousness of milchamah (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 Hashem said unto me, Within a shanah (year), according to the way a year is counted by a sakhir (hireling, hired servant), all the kavod of Kedar shall end;
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 remainder of the mispar (number) of archers, the gibborim (mighty men) of the Bnei Kedar, shall be few; for Hashem Elohei Yisroel hath spoken.
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The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.