Ambacum 2

1 I will stand upon my watch, and mount upon the rock, and watch to see what he will say by me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

I will stand upon my watch, and fix my foot upon the tower: and I will watch, to see what will be said to me, and what I may answer to him that reproveth me.

2 And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision, and [that] plainly on a tablet, that he that reads it may run.

And the Lord answered me, and said: Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables: that he that readeth it may run over it.

3 For the vision [is] yet for a time, and it shall shoot forth at the end, and not in vain: though he should wait, wait for him; for he will surely come, and will not wait.

For as yet the vision is far off, and it shall appear at the end, and shall not lie: if it make any delay, wait for it: for it shall surely come, and it shall not be slack.

4 If he should draw back, my soul has no pleasure in him: but the just shall live by my faith.

Behold, he that is unbelieving, his soul shall not be right in himself: but the just shall live in his faith.

5 But the arrogant man and the scorner, the boastful man, shall not finish anything; who has enlarged his desire as the grave, and like death he is never satisfied, and he will gather to himself all the nations, and will receive to himself all the peoples. (Sheol h7585)

And as wine deceiveth him that drinketh it: so shall the proud man be, and he shall not be honoured: who hath enlarged his desire like hell: and is himself like death, and he is never satisfied: but will gather together unto him all nations, and heap together unto him all people. (Sheol h7585)

6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him? and a proverb to tell against him? and they shall say, Woe to him that multiplies to himself the possessions which are not his! how long? and who heavily loads his yoke.

Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a dark speech concerning him: and it shall be said: Woe to him that heapeth together that which is not his own? how long also doth he load himself with thick clay?

7 For suddenly there shall arise up those that bite him, and they that plot against you shall awake, and you shall be a plunder to them.

Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee: and they be stirred up that shall tear thee, and thou shalt be a spoil to them?

8 Because you have spoiled many nations, all the nations that are left shall spoil [you], because of the blood of men, and the sins of the land and city, and of all that dwell in it.

Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all that shall be left of the people shall spoil thee: because of men’s blood, and for the iniquity of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

9 Woe to him that covets an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evils.

Woe to him that gathereth together an evil covetousness to his house, that his nest may be on high, and thinketh he may be delivered out of the hand of evil.

10 You have devised shame to your house, you have utterly destroyed many nations, and your soul has sinned.

Thou hast devised confusion to thy house, thou hast cut off many people, and thy soul hath sinned.

11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beetle out of the timber shall speak.

For the stone shall cry out of the wall: and the timber that is between the joints of the building, shall answer.

12 Woe to him that builds a city with blood, and establishes a city by unrighteousness.

Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and prepareth a city by iniquity.

13 Are not these things of the Lord Almighty? surely many people have been exhausted in the fire, and many nations have fainted.

Are not these things from the Lord of hosts? for the people shall labour in a great fire: and the nations in vain, and they shall faint.

14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord; it shall cover them as water.

For the earth shall be filled, that men may know the glory of the Lord, as waters covering the sea.

15 Woe to him that gives his neighbour to drink the thick lees [of wine], and intoxicates [him], that he may look upon their secret parts.

Woe to him that giveth drink to his friend, and presenteth his gall, and maketh him drunk, that he may behold his nakedness.

16 Drink you also [your] fill of disgrace instead of glory: shake, O heart, and quake, the cup of the right hand of the Lord has come round upon you, and dishonour has gathered upon your glory.

Thou art filled with shame instead of glory: drink thou also, and fall fast asleep: the cup of the right hand of the Lord shall compass thee, and shameful vomiting shall be on thy glory.

17 For the ungodliness of Libanus shall cover you, and distress because of wild beasts shall dismay you, because of the blood of men, and the sins of the land and city, and of all that dwell in it.

For the iniquity of Libanus shall cover thee, and the ravaging of beasts shall terrify them because of the blood of men, and the iniquity of the land, and of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

18 What profit it the graven image, that they have graven it? [one] has made it a molten work, a false image; for the maker has trusted in his work, to make dumb idols.

What doth the graven thing avail, because the maker thereof hath graven it, a molten, and a false image? because the forger thereof hath trusted in a thing of his own forging, to make dumb idols.

19 Woe to him that says to the wood, Awake, arise; and to the stone, Be you exalted! whereas it is an image, and this is a casting of gold and silver, and there is no breath in it.

Woe to him that saith to wood: Awake: to the dumb stone: Arise: can it teach? Behold, it is laid over with gold, and silver, and there is no spirit in the bowels thereof.

20 But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth fear before him.

But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.