| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land. | 1An oracle against the desert by the sea: Like storms that pass over the Negev, it comes from the desert, from the land of terror. |
| 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 troubling vision is declared to me:" The treacherous one acts treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Advance, Elam! Lay siege, you Medes! 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. | 3Therefore I am filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pain of a woman in labor. I am too perplexed to hear, too dismayed to see. |
| 4My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. | 4My heart staggers; horror terrifies me. He has turned my last glimmer of hope into sheer terror. |
| 5Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. | 5Prepare a table, and spread out a carpet! Eat and drink! Rise up, you princes, and oil the shields! |
| 6For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. | 6For the Lord has said to me," Go, post a lookout; let him report 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: | 7When he sees riders-- pairs of horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels-- he must pay close attention." |
| 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 lookout reported," Lord, I stand on the watchtower all day, and I stay at my post all night. |
| 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. | 9Look, riders come-- horsemen in pairs." And he answered, saying," Babylon has fallen, has fallen. All the images of her gods have been shattered 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 who have been crushed on the threshing floor, I have declared to you what I have heard from the LORD of Hosts, 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? | 11An oracle against Dumah: One calls to me from Seir," Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?" |
| 12The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come. | 12The watchman said," Morning has come, and also night. If you want to ask, ask! Come back again." |
| 13The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim. | 13An oracle against Arabia: In the desert brush you will camp for the night, you caravans of Dedanites. |
| 14The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled. | 14Bring water for the thirsty. The inhabitants of the land of Tema meet the refugees with food. |
| 15For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. | 15For they have fled from swords, from the drawn sword, from the bow that is strung, and from the stress of battle. |
| 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: | 16For the Lord said this to me: "Within one year, as a hired worker counts years, all the glory of Kedar will be gone. |
| 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. | 17The remaining Kedarite archers will be few in number." For the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken. |
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