| King James Bible | Berean Study 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. | 1This is the burden against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negev, 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 is declared to me: “The traitor still betrays, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, O Elam! Lay siege, O 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. | 3Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to 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 of my desire has turned to horror. |
| 5Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. | 5They prepare a table, they lay out a carpet, they eat, they drink! Rise up, O princes, oil the shields! |
| 6For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. | 6For this 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 horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, he must 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: | 8Then the lookout shouted: “Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; night after 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 come the riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one answered, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her 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. | 10O my people, crushed on the threshing floor, I tell 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? | 11This is the burden 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 replies, “Morning has come, but also the night. If you would inquire, then inquire. Come back yet again.” |
| 13The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim. | 13This is the burden against Arabia: In the thickets of Arabia you must lodge, O 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, O dwellers 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 flee from the sword—the sword that is drawn—from the bow that is bent, 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 this is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a hired worker would count it, 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 archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” For the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken. |
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