Isaiah 21:16
ESV
For thus the Lord said to me, "Within a year, according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end.
NIV
This is what the Lord says to me: "Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end.
NASB
For this is what the Lord said to me: 'In a year, as a hired worker would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end;
CSB
For the Lord said this to me: "Within one year, as a hired worker counts years, all the glory of Kedar will be gone.
NLT
The Lord said to me, 'Within a year, counting each day, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end.
KJV
For 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:
NKJV
For thus the Lord has said to me: “Within a year, according to the year of a hired man, all the glory of Kedar will fail;
What does Isaiah 21:16 mean?
Isaiah concludes his oracle against Arabian tribes with a warning. He states that the glory of Kedar will come to an end within a year. He specifies that this is not an approximate year or a vague period. This timeline will be as a hired worker measures the time owed to an employer. In other words, the prophecy will soon be fulfilled in less than one real-world year.What was the "glory of Kedar?" Isaiah may have in mind the great wealth of these traders who caravanned goods in all directions. Some gained tremendous riches and possessions along the way. The desert would not hide them from the Assyrians or other powers. Those looking for resources to fuel their war efforts would find them. Soon, the people of the region of Kedar would suffer the same fate as many others had suffered. They would be conquered and their goods would be confiscated.
