Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Isaiah 21:6

For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

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:
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.
Contemporary English Version
The Lord said to me, "Send guards to find out what's going on.
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 The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land. 2 A 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. 3 Therefore 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. 4 My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. 5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. 6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. 7 And 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: 8 And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights: 9 And, 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. 10 O 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.

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
Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
Genesis 21:12
And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Genesis 21:15
And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
Genesis 21:21
And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
Genesis 21:22
And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:
Genesis 21:27
And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
Genesis 21:28
And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
Psalms 113:9
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord .
Psalms 126:2
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
Isaiah 49:15
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

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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