Young's Literal Translation YLT
New International Version NIV
1 The burden of the wilderness of the sea. `Like hurricanes in the south for passing through, From the wilderness it hath come, From a fearful land.
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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.
2 A hard vision hath been declared to me, The treacherous dealer is dealing treacherously, And the destroyer is destroying. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Media, All its sighing I have caused to cease.
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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.
3 Therefore filled have been my loins [with] great pain, Pangs have seized me as pangs of a travailing woman, I have been bent down by hearing, I have been troubled by seeing.
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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.
4 Wandered hath my heart, trembling hath terrified me, The twilight of my desire He hath made a fear to me,
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My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.
5 Arrange the table, watch in the watch-tower, Eat, drink, rise, ye heads, anoint the shield,
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They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields!
6 For thus said the Lord unto me: `Go, station the watchman, That which he seeth let him declare.'
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This is what the Lord says to me: “Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees.
7 And he hath seen a chariot -- a couple of horsemen, The rider of an ass, the rider of a camel, And he hath given attention -- He hath increased attention!
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When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert.”
8 And he crieth -- a lion, `On a watch-tower my lord, I am standing continually by day, And on my ward I am stationed whole nights.
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And the lookout shouted, “Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post.
9 And lo, this, the chariot of a man is coming, A couple of horsemen.' And he answereth and saith: `Fallen, fallen hath Babylon, And all the graven images of her gods He hath broken to the earth.
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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!’ ”
10 O my threshing, and the son of my floor, That which I heard from Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, I have declared to you!'
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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.
11 The burden of Dumah. Unto me is [one] calling from Seir `Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?'
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A prophecy against Dumah : Someone calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12 The watchman hath said, `Come hath morning, and also night, If ye inquire, inquire ye, turn back, come.'
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The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again.”
13 The burden on Arabia. In a forest in Arabia ye lodge, O travellers of Dedanim.
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A prophecy against Arabia: You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
14 To meet the thirsty brought water have Inhabitants of the land of Tema, With his bread they came before a fugitive.
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bring water for the thirsty; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives.
15 For from the face of destructions they fled, From the face of a stretched-out sword, And from the face of a trodden bow, And from the face of the grievousness of battle.
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They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle.
16 For thus said the Lord unto me: `Within a year, as years of a hireling, Consumed hath been all the honour of Kedar.
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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.
17 And the remnant of the number of bow-men, The mighty of the sons of Kedar are few, For Jehovah, God of Israel, hath spoken!'
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The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.
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.