Isaiah 21
What Happens in This Chapter
Isaiah gives three heavy messages here: one about the Desert by the Sea, one about Dumah, and one about Arabia. In the first, Isaiah is shaken by what he sees, and a watchman posted by God finally calls out that Babylon has fallen and her idols are broken. The second is a short exchange with someone calling from Seir asking how much of the night is left. The third tells travelers and the people of Tema to help those running from war, and says the glory of Kedar will end within one year.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.
1This is a heavy message about the Desert by the Sea. Storm winds rush across the dry southern land. In the same way an enemy comes from the desert, from a land of terror.
"Burden" here is an old word for a heavy message of warning from God about a certain place.
2A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.
2A hard vision was shown to me. The one who cheats keeps on cheating. The one who destroys keeps on destroying. God says, "Go up, Elam! Surround the city, Media! I will put an end to all her groaning."
3Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.
3So my whole body hurts. Sharp pains grip me, like a woman having a baby. What I heard left me confused. What I saw left me shaken.
4My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.
4My heart pounds fast. Fear makes me tremble. The evening I looked forward to has turned into a night of terror.
5Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.
5They set the table. They spread out the rug. They eat and drink. Then comes the shout: "Get up, leaders! Rub oil on your shields and get ready to fight!"
6For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
6The Lord said this to me: "Go and post a watchman. A watchman is a guard who watches and tells what he sees."
7And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:
7"When he sees riders on horses, two by two, and men on donkeys and camels, he must watch closely and listen hard."
8And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:
8Then the watchman called out loudly: "My lord, I stand on the tower all day long. I stay at my post all night long."
The KJV says the watchman cried, "A lion." It most likely means he called out loudly, the way a lion roars.
9And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.
9"Look! Here come the riders, horsemen two by two." Then someone answered, "Babylon has fallen! Babylon has fallen! All the statues of her gods lie broken on the ground."
10O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.
10My people, you were crushed like grain beaten on a threshing floor. I have told you what I heard from the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel.
11The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
11This is a heavy message about Dumah. Someone calls to me from Seir: "Watchman, how much of the night is left? Watchman, how much of the night is left?"
12The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.
12The watchman answers, "Morning is coming, but night is coming too. If you want to ask, then ask. Come back again."
13The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.
13This is a heavy message about Arabia. You will have to sleep in the thick bushes of Arabia, you traveling groups from Dedan.
14The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.
14People of Tema, bring water to those who are thirsty. Go out to meet the people who are running away, and give them food.
The KJV says they "prevented" him with bread. In old English "prevent" meant to go out ahead to meet someone, not to stop them.
15For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
15They are running from swords. They run from a sword pulled out, from a bow bent to shoot, and from the hard fighting of war.
16For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:
16The Lord said this to me: "In one year, counted exactly the way a hired worker counts, all the glory of Kedar will be gone."
"The years of an hireling" means a year counted exactly, the way a hired worker counts his days of work.
17And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.
17Only a few of Kedar's bowmen and strong fighters will be left. The Lord, the God of Israel, has said it.
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