Profeetat

Prophecy about the Fall of Babylon

A watchman receives a harsh vision about Babylon's downfall. He sees a chariot with horses and proclaims that the city has fallen and its idols are shattered, while expressing pain over what he sees.

Jesaja 21,1-10

1An oracle concerning the wilderness by the sea: Like storm winds sweeping through the Negev, it comes from the desert, from a land of terror.
מַשָּׂ֖א מִדְבַּר־יָ֑ם כְּסוּפ֤וֹת בַּנֶּ֙גֶב֙ לַֽחֲלֹ֔ף מִמִּדְבָּ֣ר בָּ֔א מֵאֶ֖רֶץ נוֹרָאָֽה׃ ‬
2A harsh vision has been told to me: the traitor betrays, the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam! Lay siege, Media! I have put an end to all her groaning.
חָז֥וּת קָשָׁ֖ה הֻגַּד־לִ֑י הַבּוֹגֵ֤ד ׀ בּוֹגֵד֙ וְהַשּׁוֹדֵ֣ד ׀ שׁוֹדֵ֔ד עֲלִ֤י עֵילָם֙ צוּרִ֣י מָדַ֔י כָּל־אַנְחָתָ֖ה הִשְׁבַּֽתִּי׃ ‬
3Therefore my body is racked with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor. I am doubled over by what I hear; I am terrified by what I see.
עַל־כֵּ֗ן מָלְא֤וּ מָתְנַי֙ חַלְחָלָ֔ה צִירִ֣ים אֲחָז֔וּנִי כְּצִירֵ֖י יֽוֹלֵדָ֑ה נַעֲוֵ֣יתִי מִשְּׁמֹ֔עַ נִבְהַ֖לְתִּי מֵרְאֽוֹת׃ ‬
4My heart staggers, horror overwhelms me; the twilight I longed for has become my dread.
תָּעָ֣ה לְבָבִ֔י פַּלָּצ֖וּת בִּֽעֲתָ֑תְנִי אֵ֚ת נֶ֣שֶׁף חִשְׁקִ֔י שָׂ֥ם לִ֖י לַחֲרָדָֽה׃ ‬
5Set the table! Post the lookout! Eat, drink! Get up, you officers! Oil the shields!
עָרֹ֧ךְ הַשֻּׁלְחָ֛ן צָפֹ֥ה הַצָּפִ֖ית אָכ֣וֹל שָׁתֹ֑ה ק֥וּמוּ הַשָּׂרִ֖ים מִשְׁח֥וּ מָגֵֽן׃ פ ‬
6For this is what the Lord said to me: "Go, post a watchman, and let him report what he sees.
כִּ֣י כֹ֥ה אָמַ֛ר אֵלַ֖י אֲדֹנָ֑י לֵ֚ךְ הַעֲמֵ֣ד הַֽמְצַפֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִרְאֶ֖ה יַגִּֽיד׃ ‬
7When he sees a chariot, a pair of horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him listen closely, very closely."
וְרָ֣אָה רֶ֗כֶב צֶ֚מֶד פָּֽרָשִׁ֔ים רֶ֥כֶב חֲמ֖וֹר רֶ֣כֶב גָּמָ֑ל וְהִקְשִׁ֥יב קֶ֖שֶׁב רַב־קָֽשֶׁב׃ ‬
8Then the lookout called out like a lion: "On the watchtower, my Lord, I stand all day long, and at my post I keep guard through every night.
וַיִּקְרָ֖א אַרְיֵ֑ה עַל־מִצְפֶּ֣ה ׀ אֲדֹנָ֗י אָנֹכִ֞י עֹמֵ֤ד תָּמִיד֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְעַל־מִ֨שְׁמַרְתִּ֔י אָנֹכִ֥י נִצָּ֖ב כָּל־הַלֵּילֽוֹת׃ ‬
9Look—here comes a chariot of men, a pair of horsemen!" And he answered and said: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground."
וְהִנֵּה־זֶ֥ה בָא֙ רֶ֣כֶב אִ֔ישׁ צֶ֖מֶד פָּֽרָשִׁ֑ים וַיַּ֣עַן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר נָפְלָ֤ה נָֽפְלָה֙ בָּבֶ֔ל וְכָל־פְּסִילֵ֥י אֱלֹהֶ֖יהָ שִׁבַּ֥ר לָאָֽרֶץ׃ ‬
10O my threshed people, my child of the threshing floor, what I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you.
מְדֻשָׁתִ֖י וּבֶן־גָּרְנִ֑י אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי מֵאֵ֨ת יְהוָ֧ה צְבָא֛וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הִגַּ֥דְתִּי לָכֶֽם׃ ס ‬