[1] 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] 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] 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] My mind is wandering, fear has overcome me: the
evening of my desire has been turned into shaking for me. [5] They make
ready the table, they put down the covers, they take food and drink. Up!
you captains; put oil on your breastplates. [6] For so has the Lord said to
me, Go, let a watchman be placed; let him give word of what he sees: [7]
And when he sees war-carriages, horsemen by twos, war-carriages with asses,
war-carriages with camels, let him give special attention. [8] 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] 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] 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] 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] 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] The word
about Arabia. In the thick woods of Arabia will be your night's
resting-place, O travelling bands of Dedanites! [14] Give water to him who
is in need of water; give bread, O men of the land of Tema, to those in
flight. [15] For they are in flight from the sharp sword, and the bent bow,
and from the trouble of war. [16] 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] 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.
