| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 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. | 1A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a 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 dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused. |
| 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. | 3At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see. |
| 4My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. | 4My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me. |
| 5Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. | 5They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields! |
| 6For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. | 6This is what the Lord says to me: "Go, post a lookout and have 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 chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert." |
| 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: | 8And the lookout shouted, "Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post. |
| 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, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: 'Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie 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 are crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the LORD Almighty, from 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? | 11A prophecy against Dumah: Someone 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 replies, "Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again." |
| 13The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim. | 13A prophecy against Arabia: You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia, |
| 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; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives. |
| 15For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. | 15They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat 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: | 16This is what the Lord says to me: "Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. |
| 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 survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few." The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken. |
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