Lectionary Calendar
Friday, August 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Isaiah 21:6

The Lord said to me, "Send guards to find out what's going on.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Babylon;   Isaiah;   Persia;   Watchman;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;   Watchmen;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Towers;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Persia;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Watches;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Babel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Isaiah, Book of;   Prince;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - First and Last ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Babylon ;   Elam ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Medes;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Garden;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ba'bel;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - War;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Evil;   Habakkuk;   Hezekiah (2);   Isaiah;   Watchman;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Bible in Mohammedan Literature;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For the Lord has said to me,“Go, post a lookout;let him report what he sees.
Hebrew Names Version
For thus has the Lord said to me, Go, set a watchman: let him declare what he sees:
King James Version
For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
English Standard Version
For thus the Lord said to me: "Go, set a watchman; let him announce what he sees.
New American Standard Bible
For this is what the Lord says to me: "Go, station the lookout, have him report what he sees.
New Century Version
The Lord said to me, "Go, place a lookout for the city and have him report what he sees.
Amplified Bible
This is what the Lord says to me, "Go, station the lookout, let him report what he sees.
World English Bible
For thus has the Lord said to me, Go, set a watchman: let him declare what he sees:
Geneva Bible (1587)
For thus hath the Lord said vnto me, Go, set a watchman, to tell what he seeth.
Legacy Standard Bible
For thus the Lord says to me,"Go, station the lookout, let him declare what he sees.
Berean Standard Bible
For this is what the Lord says to me: "Go, post a lookout to report what he sees.
Complete Jewish Bible
For this is what Adonai said to me: "Go, post a watchman to report what he sees!
Darby Translation
For thus hath the Lord said unto me: Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord said to me, "Go find someone to guard this city. He must report whatever he sees.
George Lamsa Translation
For thus has the LORD said to me: Go, set a watchman, that he may declare what he sees.
Good News Translation
Then the Lord said to me, "Go and post a sentry, and tell him to report what he sees.
Lexham English Bible
For the Lord said this to me: "Go, set a watchman in position. He must announce what he sees.
Literal Translation
For so the Lord has said to me: Go, set a watchman; he will declare what he sees.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for thus the LORDE hath charged me: go thy waye, and set a watchma, that he maye tell what he seyth.
American Standard Version
For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman; let him declare what he seeth:
Bible in Basic English
For so has the Lord said to me, Go, let a watchman be placed; let him give word of what he sees:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For thus hath the Lord said unto me: Go, set a watchman; let him declare what he seeth!
King James Version (1611)
For thus hath the Lord sayd vnto me; Goe, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For thus hath the Lorde sayde vnto me: Go and set a watchman to tel what he seeth.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For thus said the Lord to me, Go and station a watchman for thyself, and declare whatever thou shalt see.
English Revised Version
For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman; let him declare what he seeth:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For whi the Lord seide these thingis to me, Go thou, and sette a lokere; and telle he, what euer thing he seeth.
Update Bible Version
For thus has the Lord said to me, Go, set a watchman: let him declare what he sees:
Webster's Bible Translation
For thus hath the Lord said to me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
New English Translation
For this is what the sovereign master has told me: "Go, post a guard! He must report what he sees.
New King James Version
For thus has the Lord said to me: "Go, set a watchman, Let him declare what he sees."
New Living Translation
Meanwhile, the Lord said to me, "Put a watchman on the city wall. Let him shout out what he sees.
New Life Bible
For the Lord says to me, "Go, set a man to keep watch. Let him tell what he sees.
New Revised Standard
For thus the Lord said to me: "Go, post a lookout, let him announce what he sees.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, thus, hath My Lord said unto me, - Go, set the watchman, What he seeth, let him tell!
Douay-Rheims Bible
For thus hath the Lord said to me: Go, and set a watchman: and whatsoever he shall see, let him tell.
Revised Standard Version
For thus the Lord said to me: "Go, set a watchman, let him announce what he sees.
Young's Literal Translation
For thus said the Lord unto me: `Go, station the watchman, That which he seeth let him declare.'
THE MESSAGE
The Master told me, "Go, post a lookout. Have him report whatever he spots. When he sees horses and wagons in battle formation, lines of donkeys and columns of camels, Tell him to keep his ear to the ground, note every whisper, every rumor." Just then, the lookout shouted, "I'm at my post, Master, Sticking to my post day after day and all through the night! I watched them come, the horses and wagons in battle formation. I heard them call out the war news in headlines: ‘Babylon fallen! Fallen! And all its precious god-idols smashed to pieces on the ground.'"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For thus the Lord says to me, "Go, station the lookout, let him report what he sees.

Contextual Overview

1 This is a message about a desert beside the sea: Enemies from a hostile nation attack like a whirlwind from the Southern Desert. 2 What a horrible vision was shown to me— a vision of betrayal and destruction. Tell Elam and Media to surround and attack the Babylonians. The Lord has sworn to end the suffering they caused. 3 I'm in terrible pain like a woman giving birth. I'm shocked and hurt so much that I can't hear or see. 4 My head spins; I'm horrified! Early evening, my favorite time, has become a nightmare. 5 In Babylon the high officials were having a feast. They were eating and drinking, when someone shouted, "Officers, take your places! Grab your shields." 6 The Lord said to me, "Send guards to find out what's going on. 7 When they see cavalry troops and columns of soldiers on donkeys and camels, tell them to be ready!" 8 Then a guard said, "I have stood day and night on this watchtower, Lord. 9 Now I see column after column of cavalry troops." Right away someone shouted, "Babylon has fallen! Every idol in the city lies broken on the ground." 10 Then I said, "My people, you have suffered terribly, but I have a message for you from the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Go: Isaiah 62:6, 2 Kings 9:17-20, Jeremiah 51:12, Jeremiah 51:13, Ezekiel 3:17, Ezekiel 33:2-7, Habakkuk 2:1, Habakkuk 2:2

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 18:24 - the watchman Song of Solomon 3:3 - watchmen Isaiah 21:11 - what

Cross-References

Genesis 17:17
Abraham bowed with his face to the ground and thought, "I am almost a hundred years old. How can I become a father? And Sarah is ninety. How can she have a child?" So he started laughing.
Genesis 21:12
But God said, "Abraham, don't worry about your slave woman and the boy. Just do what Sarah tells you. Isaac will inherit your family name,
Genesis 21:15
and after they had run out of water, Hagar put her son under a bush.
Genesis 21:22
About this time Abimelech and his army commander Phicol said to Abraham, "God blesses everything you do!
Genesis 21:27
Abraham gave Abimelech some sheep and cattle, and then the two men made a peace treaty.
Genesis 21:28
Abraham separated seven female lambs from his flock of sheep,
Psalms 113:9
When a wife has no children, he blesses her with some, and she is happy. Shout praises to the Lord !
Psalms 126:2
We celebrated with laughter and joyful songs. In foreign nations it was said, "The Lord has worked miracles for his people."
Isaiah 49:15
The Lord answered, "Could a mother forget a child who nurses at her breast? Could she fail to love an infant who came from her own body? Even if a mother could forget, I will never forget you.
Isaiah 49:21
and Jerusalem will ask, "Am I really their mother? How could I have given birth when I was still mourning in a foreign land? Who raised these children? Where have they come from?"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For thus hath the Lord said unto me,.... This is a confirmation of the above prophecy from the Lord himself, he showing to the prophet, in a visionary way, the ruin of Babylon, and the means and instruments of it:

go, set a watchman; not Habakkuk, as Jarchi; nor Urias, as the Septuagint; nor Jeremiah, as others; but himself, who, in a way of vision, represented a watchman on the walls of Babylon; and which was no way unsuitable to his character and office as a prophet:

let him declare what he seeth; what he sees coming at a distance, or at hand, let him faithfully and publicly make it known: these are not the words of the king of Babylon to one of his watchmen; but of the Lord of hosts to his prophet.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Go, set a watchman - This was said to Isaiah in the vision. He represents himself as in Babylon, and as hearing God command him to set a watchman on the watch-tower who would announce what was to come to pass. All this is designed merely to bring the manner of the destruction of the city more vividly before the eye.


 
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