< Habakkuk 2 >

1 I will take my position and be on watch, placing myself on my tower, looking out to see what he will say to me, and what answer he will give to my protest.
עַל־מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣י אֶעֱמֹ֔דָה וְאֶֽתְיַצְּבָ֖ה עַל־מָצֹ֑ור וַאֲצַפֶּ֗ה לִרְאֹות֙ מַה־יְדַבֶּר־בִּ֔י וּמָ֥ה אָשִׁ֖יב עַל־תֹּוכַחְתִּֽי׃
2 And the Lord gave me an answer, and said, Put the vision in writing and make it clear on stones, so that the reader may go quickly.
וַיַּעֲנֵ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ וַיֹּ֔אמֶר כְּתֹ֣וב חָזֹ֔ון וּבָאֵ֖ר עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֑ות לְמַ֥עַן יָר֖וּץ קֹ֥ורֵא בֹֽו׃
3 For the vision is still for the fixed time, and it is moving quickly to the end, and it will not be false: even if it is slow in coming, go on waiting for it; because it will certainly come, it will not be kept back.
כִּ֣י עֹ֤וד חָזֹון֙ לַמֹּועֵ֔ד וְיָפֵ֥חַ לַקֵּ֖ץ וְלֹ֣א יְכַזֵּ֑ב אִם־יִתְמַהְמָהּ֙ חַכֵּה־לֹ֔ו כִּֽי־בֹ֥א יָבֹ֖א לֹ֥א יְאַחֵֽר׃
4 As for the man of pride, my soul has no pleasure in him; but the upright man will have life through his good faith.
הִנֵּ֣ה עֻפְּלָ֔ה לֹא־יָשְׁרָ֥ה נַפְשֹׁ֖ו בֹּ֑ו וְצַדִּ֖יק בֶּאֱמוּנָתֹ֥ו יִחְיֶֽה׃
5 A curse on the cruel and false one! the man full of pride, who never has enough; who makes his desires wide as the underworld! he is like death; he is never full, but he makes all nations come to him, getting all peoples together to himself. (Sheol h7585)
וְאַף֙ כִּֽי־הַיַּ֣יִן בֹּוגֵ֔ד גֶּ֥בֶר יָהִ֖יר וְלֹ֣א יִנְוֶ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֩ הִרְחִ֨יב כִּשְׁאֹ֜ול נַפְשֹׁ֗ו וְה֤וּא כַמָּ֙וֶת֙ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׂבָּ֔ע וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ף אֵלָיו֙ כָּל־הַגֹּויִ֔ם וַיִּקְבֹּ֥ץ אֵלָ֖יו כָּל־הָעַמִּֽים׃ (Sheol h7585)
6 Will not all these take up a word of shame against him and a bitter saying against him, and say, A curse on him who goes on taking what is not his and is weighted down with the property of debtors!
הֲלֹוא־אֵ֣לֶּה כֻלָּ֗ם עָלָיו֙ מָשָׁ֣ל יִשָּׂ֔אוּ וּמְלִיצָ֖ה חִידֹ֣ות לֹ֑ו וְיֹאמַ֗ר הֹ֚וי הַמַּרְבֶּ֣ה לֹּא־לֹ֔ו עַד־מָתַ֕י וּמַכְבִּ֥יד עָלָ֖יו עַבְטִֽיט׃
7 Will not your creditors suddenly be moved against you, and your troublers get up from their sleep, and you will be to them like goods taken in war?
הֲלֹ֣וא פֶ֗תַע יָק֙וּמוּ֙ נֹשְׁכֶ֔יךָ וְיִקְצ֖וּ מְזַעְזְעֶ֑יךָ וְהָיִ֥יתָ לִמְשִׁסֹּ֖ות לָֽמֹו׃
8 Because you have taken their goods from great nations, all the rest of the peoples will take your goods from you; because of men's blood and violent acts against the land and the town and all who are living in it.
כִּֽי אַתָּ֤ה שַׁלֹּ֙ותָ֙ גֹּויִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים יְשָׁלּ֖וּךָ כָּל־יֶ֣תֶר עַמִּ֑ים מִדְּמֵ֤י אָדָם֙ וַחֲמַס־אֶ֔רֶץ קִרְיָ֖ה וְכָל־יֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ פ
9 A curse on him who gets evil profits for his family, so that he may put his resting-place on high and be safe from the hand of the wrongdoer!
הֹ֗וי בֹּצֵ֛עַ בֶּ֥צַע רָ֖ע לְבֵיתֹ֑ו לָשׂ֤וּם בַּמָּרֹום֙ קִנֹּ֔ו לְהִנָּצֵ֖ל מִכַּף־רָֽע׃
10 You have been a cause of shame to your house by cutting off a number of peoples, and sinning against your soul.
יָעַ֥צְתָּ בֹּ֖שֶׁת לְבֵיתֶ֑ךָ קְצֹות־עַמִּ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים וְחֹוטֵ֥א נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃
11 For the stone will give a cry out of the wall, and it will be answered by the board out of the woodwork.
כִּי־אֶ֖בֶן מִקִּ֣יר תִּזְעָ֑ק וְכָפִ֖יס מֵעֵ֥ץ יַעֲנֶֽנָּה׃ פ
12 A curse on him who is building a place with blood, and basing a town on evil-doing!
הֹ֛וי בֹּנֶ֥ה עִ֖יר בְּדָמִ֑ים וְכֹונֵ֥ן קִרְיָ֖ה בְּעַוְלָֽה׃
13 See, is it not the pleasure of the Lord of armies that the peoples are working for the fire and using themselves up for nothing?
הֲלֹ֣וא הִנֵּ֔ה מֵאֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֑ות וְיִֽיגְע֤וּ עַמִּים֙ בְּדֵי־אֵ֔שׁ וּלְאֻמִּ֖ים בְּדֵי־רִ֥יק יִעָֽפוּ׃
14 For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the sea is covered by the waters.
כִּ֚י תִּמָּלֵ֣א הָאָ֔רֶץ לָדַ֖עַת אֶת־כְּבֹ֣וד יְהוָ֑ה כַּמַּ֖יִם יְכַסּ֥וּ עַל־יָֽם׃ ס
15 A curse on him who gives his neighbour the wine of his wrath, making him overcome with strong drink from the cup of his passion, so that you may be a witness of their shame!
הֹ֚וי מַשְׁקֵ֣ה רֵעֵ֔הוּ מְסַפֵּ֥חַ חֲמָתְךָ֖ וְאַ֣ף שַׁכֵּ֑ר לְמַ֥עַן הַבִּ֖יט עַל־מְעֹורֵיהֶֽם׃
16 You are full of shame in place of glory: take your part in the drinking, and let your shame be uncovered: the cup of the Lord's right hand will come round to you and your glory will be covered with shame.
שָׂבַ֤עְתָּ קָלֹון֙ מִכָּבֹ֔וד שְׁתֵ֥ה גַם־אַ֖תָּה וְהֵֽעָרֵ֑ל תִּסֹּ֣וב עָלֶ֗יךָ כֹּ֚וס יְמִ֣ין יְהוָ֔ה וְקִיקָלֹ֖ון עַל־כְּבֹודֶֽךָ׃
17 For the violent acts against Lebanon will come on you, and the destruction of the cattle will be a cause of fear to you, because of men's blood and the violent acts against the land and the town and all who are living in it.
כִּ֣י חֲמַ֤ס לְבָנֹון֙ יְכַסֶּ֔ךָּ וְשֹׁ֥ד בְּהֵמֹ֖ות יְחִיתַ֑ן מִדְּמֵ֤י אָדָם֙ וַחֲמַס־אֶ֔רֶץ קִרְיָ֖ה וְכָל־יֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ ס
18 What profit is the pictured image to its maker? and as for the metal image, the false teacher, why does its maker put his faith in it, making false gods without a voice?
מָֽה־הֹועִ֣יל פֶּ֗סֶל כִּ֤י פְסָלֹו֙ יֹֽצְרֹ֔ו מַסֵּכָ֖ה וּמֹ֣ורֶה שָּׁ֑קֶר כִּ֣י בָטַ֞ח יֹצֵ֤ר יִצְרֹו֙ עָלָ֔יו לַעֲשֹׂ֖ות אֱלִילִ֥ים אִלְּמִֽים׃ ס
19 A curse on him who says to the wood, Awake! to the unbreathing stone, Up! let it be a teacher! See, it is plated with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it.
הֹ֣וי אֹמֵ֤ר לָעֵץ֙ הָקִ֔יצָה ע֖וּרִי לְאֶ֣בֶן דּוּמָ֑ם ה֣וּא יֹורֶ֔ה הִנֵּה־ה֗וּא תָּפוּשׂ֙ זָהָ֣ב וָכֶ֔סֶף וְכָל־ר֖וּחַ אֵ֥ין בְּקִרְבֹּֽו׃
20 But the Lord is in his holy Temple: let all the earth be quiet before him.
וַֽיהוָ֖ה בְּהֵיכַ֣ל קָדְשֹׁ֑ו הַ֥ס מִפָּנָ֖יו כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ פ

< Habakkuk 2 >