13. In the wilderness in Arabia ye must pass the night, caravans of
the Dedanians. 14. Bring water to meet thirsty ones! The inhabitants
of the land of Tema are coming with its bread before the fugitive.
15. For they are flying before swords, before drawn swords, and
before a bent bow, and before oppressive war.
16. For thus hath the Lord spoken to me, Within a year, as the years
of a hired labourer, it is over with all the glory of Kedar. 17. And
the remnant of the number of bows of the heroes of the Kedarenes will
be small: for Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath spoken.
THE ORACLE CONCERNING THE VALLEY OF
VISION (JERUSALEM).--CHAP. XXII. 1-14.
1. What aileth thee, then, that thou art wholly ascended upon the
house-tops? 2. O full of tumult, thou noisy city, shouting castle,
thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor slaughtered in
battle. 3. All thy rulers departing together are fettered without
bow; all thy captured ones are fettered together, fleeing far away.
4. Therefore I say, Look away from me, that I may weep bitterly;
press me not with consolations for the destruction of the daughter of
my people! 5. For a day of noise, and of treading down, and of
confusion, cometh from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, in the valley of
vision, breaking down walls; and a cry of woe echoes against the
mountains.
6. And Elam has taken the quiver, together with chariots with men,
horsemen; and Kir has drawn out the shield. 7. And then it comes to
pass, that thy choicest valleys are filled with chariots, and the
horsemen plant a firm foot towards the gate.
8. Then he takes away the covering of Judah, and thou lookest in that
day to the store of arms of the forest-house; 9. and ye see the
breaches of the city of David, that there are many of them; and ye
collect together the waters of the lower pool. 10. And ye number the
houses of Jerusalem, and pull down the houses, to fortify the wall.
11. And ye make a basin between the two walls for the waters of the
old pool; and ye do not look to Him who made it, neither do ye have
regard to Him who fashioned it long ago.
12. The Lord, Jehovah of hosts, calls in that day to weeping, and to
mourning, and to the pulling out of hair, and to girding with
sackcloth; 13. and behold joy and gladness, slaughtering of oxen and
killing of sheep, eating of flesh and drinking of wine, eating and
drinking, for 'to-morrow we die.' 14. And Jehovah of hosts hath
revealed in mine ears, Surely this iniquity shall not be expiated for
you until ye die, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.