^{1 Ref} The word about the waste land. As storm-winds in the South go rushing through, it comes from the waste land, from the land greatly to be feared.

^{2 Ref} A vision of fear comes before my eyes; the worker of deceit goes on in his false way, and the waster goes on making waste. Up! Elam; to the attack! Media; I have put an end to her sorrow.

^{3 Ref} For this cause I am full of bitter grief; pains like the pains of a woman in childbirth have come on me: I am bent down with sorrow at what comes to my ears; I am shocked by what I see.

^{4 Ref} My mind is wandering, fear has overcome me: the evening of my desire has been turned into shaking for me.

^{5 Ref} They make ready the table, they put down the covers, they take food and drink. Up! you captains; put oil on your breastplates.

^{6 Ref} For so has the Lord said to me, Go, let a watchman be placed; let him give word of what he sees:

^{7 Ref} And when he sees war-carriages, horsemen by twos, war-carriages with asses, war-carriages with camels, let him give special attention.

^{8 Ref} And the watchman gave a loud cry, O my lord, I am on the watchtower all day, and am placed in my watch every night:

^{9 Ref} See, here come war-carriages with men, horsemen by twos: and in answer he said, Babylon is made low, is made low, and all her images are broken on the earth.

^{10 Ref} O my crushed ones, the grain of my floor! I have given you the word which came to me from the Lord of armies, the God of Israel.

^{11 Ref} The word about Edom. A voice comes to me from Seir, Watchman, how far gone is the night? how far gone is the night?

^{12 Ref} The watchman says, The morning has come, but night is still to come: if you have questions to put, put them, and come back again.

^{13 Ref} The word about Arabia. In the thick woods of Arabia will be your night's resting-place, O travelling bands of Dedanites!

^{14 Ref} Give water to him who is in need of water; give bread, O men of the land of Tema, to those in flight.

^{15 Ref} For they are in flight from the sharp sword, and the bent bow, and from the trouble of war.

^{16 Ref} For so has the Lord said to me, In a year, by the years of a servant working for payment, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end:

^{17 Ref} And the rest of the bowmen, the men of war of the children of Kedar, will be small in number: for the Lord, the God of Israel, has said it.

^{1 Ref} 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.

^{2 Ref} 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.

^{3 Ref} 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.

^{4 Ref} Wandered hath my heart, trembling hath terrified me, The twilight of my desire He hath made a fear to me,

^{5 Ref} Arrange the table, watch in the watch-tower, Eat, drink, rise, ye heads, anoint the shield,

^{6 Ref} For thus said the Lord unto me: `Go, station the watchman, That which he seeth let him declare.'

^{7 Ref} 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!

^{8 Ref} 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.

^{9 Ref} 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.

^{10 Ref} 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!'

^{11 Ref} The burden of Dumah. Unto me is `one' calling from Seir `Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?'

^{12 Ref} The watchman hath said, `Come hath morning, and also night, If ye inquire, inquire ye, turn back, come.'

^{13 Ref} The burden on Arabia. In a forest in Arabia ye lodge, O travellers of Dedanim.

^{14 Ref} To meet the thirsty brought water have Inhabitants of the land of Tema, With his bread they came before a fugitive.

^{15 Ref} 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.

^{16 Ref} For thus said the Lord unto me: `Within a year, as years of a hireling, Consumed hath been all the honour of Kedar.

^{17 Ref} 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!'

^{1 Ref} The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it comes from the wilderness, from an awesome land.

^{2 Ref} A grievous vision is declared to me; the treacherous man deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam; besiege, Media; all the sighing of it have I made to cease.

^{3 Ref} Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold on me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am pained so that I can't hear; I am dismayed so that I can't see.

^{4 Ref} My heart flutters, horror has frightened me; the twilight that I desired has been turned into trembling to me.

^{5 Ref} They prepare the table, they set the watch, they eat, they drink: rise up, you princes, anoint the shield.

^{6 Ref} For thus has the Lord said to me, Go, set a watchman: let him declare what he sees:

^{7 Ref} and when he sees a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, a troop of camels, he shall listen diligently with much heed.

^{8 Ref} He cried as a lion: Lord, I stand continually on the watch-tower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights;

^{9 Ref} and, behold, here comes a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. He answered, Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the engraved images of her gods are broken to the ground.

^{10 Ref} You my threshing, and the grain of my floor! that which I have heard from Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared to you.

^{11 Ref} The burden of Dumah. One calls to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?

^{12 Ref} The watchman said, "The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire. Come back again."

^{13 Ref} The burden on Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall you lodge, you caravans of Dedanites.

^{14 Ref} To him who was thirsty they brought water; the inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitives with their bread.

^{15 Ref} For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the heat of battle.

^{16 Ref} For thus has the Lord said to me, Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall fail;

^{17 Ref} and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be few; for Yahweh, the God of Israel, has spoken it.