XXI. 1 The burden of the desert of the sea; Like whirlwinds in the south, sweeping along; it cometh from the wilderness, from a terrible land.

2 A hard vision is declared unto me: the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the destroyer destroyeth. Go up, Ο Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

3 Therefore my loins are ﬁlled with anguish ; pangs have taken hold upon me, like the pangs of a woman in travail; I am bowed with pain, so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed, so that I cannot see.

4 My heart wandereth, horror affrighteth me; the twilight of my desire hath he turned into trembling for me.

5 They prepare the table, they set the watch, eat, drink. Arise, ye princes, anoint the shield.

5. Verbs in former part of verse are inﬁnitives. ‘set the watch’: or,‘spread the carpets.

6 For thus bath the Lord said unto me, Go, place the watchman; what he shall see, let him declare.

7 And he saw a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels; and he hearkened with utmost hearkenings.

8 And he cried (as) a lion, O Lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower by day, and I am placed at my post all the nights:

9 And behold there cometh a troop of men, horsemen in pairs; 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 O my threshing, and the son of my (threshing) ﬂoor; that which I have heard from the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

11 The burden of Dumah.

One crieth to me out of Seir: Watchman, what (hour) of the night? Watchman, what (hour) of the night?

12 The watchman said, Morning cometh, and also night. If ye will inquire, inquire ye; return, come.

13 The burden upon Arabia.

In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, ye caravans of Dedanim.

14 Bring ye water, to meet him that is thirsty; the inhabitants of the land of Tema welcome the fugitive with his bread.

15 For they are fugitives from the face of the swords, from the face of the drawn sword, and of the bent bow, and of the weight of war.

16 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, as the years of a hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall be consumed;

7. Or, ‘and should he see...let him hearken,’ continuing the Word for ‘troop’ means also ‘a rider.11. Or, ‘what (cometh out) of the Right?13. ‘ upon ’ ‘in ’ Less prob. ‘in the ’15. ‘drawn,’ or ‘brandished’: ‘weight,’ i.e. pressure.

17 And the remnant of the number of bows, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, shall be few; for the Lord, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.