Habakkuk 2
1 Upon my watch-tower, will I stand, and will station myself upon the bulwark, —so will I keep outlook, to see—what he will speak with me, and what I shall reply, when I am reproved.
[After I said that, I said to myself, ] “I will climb up into my watchtower, and stand there at my guard post. I will wait there to find out what Yahweh will say, what he will reply to what I have complained about.”
2 Then Yahweh answered me, and said, Write the vision, Yea, make it plain on tablets, that one may swiftly read it;
Then Yahweh replied to me, “Write plainly on tablets [what I am revealing to you in] this vision, [and then read it to a messenger] in order that he can run with it [to tell it to] other people.
3 For yet is the vision for an appointed time, still, it presseth towards an end, and will not deceive, —if it tarry, wait thou for it, for it, surely cometh, —will not be too late.
In this vision [I will be talking about things that will happen] in the future. Now is not the time when those things will happen, but they certainly will happen, and when they occur, they will occur quickly, and they will not be delayed. Now you [want those things to happen immediately, but] they are not happening. But wait patiently for them [to happen]!
4 Lo! as for the conceited one, crooked is his soul within him, - but, one who is righteous, by his faithfulness, shall live.
Think about the proud [people of Babylonia]! They are certainly not doing what is righteous. But people who are righteous will live because they faithfully [do what I want them to do].
5 Moreover also, when wine betrayeth, a man, is arrogant, and findeth no rest, —because he hath enlarged, like hades, his desire, yea, he, is like death, and cannot be satisfied, —but hath gathered unto himself, all the nations, and assembled unto himself, all the peoples. (Sheol h7585)
If people [trust in their wealth], they will deceive themselves, and proud people are never able to rest. [It is as though] the greedy people [of Babylonia open their mouths] as wide as the place where dead people are, and they never have enough, like [the place where] dead people go never has enough dead people [PRS]. The [armies of Babylonia] conquer many nations for themselves, and capture all their people. (Sheol h7585)
6 Shall not, these, all of them, against him, take up—a taunt, a mocking poem, enigmatical sentences—concerning him? And say—Alas! for him who maketh abundance in what is not his own, How long? that he should be burdening himself with heavy debts?
But [soon] all those [whom they have captured] will ridicule [the soldiers from Babylonia]! They will make fun of them, saying, ‘Terrible things will happen to you who have stolen things [from other countries]! You got many things by forcing people to give them to you. [But you certainly will not keep those things] for a long time [RHQ]!’
7 Will not thy creditors, suddenly rise up? and they who shall violently shake thee, all at once become active? Then shalt thou serve for booties, unto them!
Suddenly those whom you (oppressed/treated cruelly) will cause you to tremble, and they will take away all the things that you have stolen from them.
8 Because, thou, hast plundered many nations, all the residue of the peoples, shall plunder thee, —for shedding Human blood, and doing violence to the earth, to the city, and to all who dwell therein.
You stole things from the people of many nations. You murdered [MTY] people of many people-groups, and you destroyed their land and their cities. So those who are still alive will steal valuable things from you.
9 Alas! for him who extorteth an extortion of wrong for his own house, —that he may set on high his nest, that he may be delivered from the grasp of calamity.
Terrible things will happen to you [people of Babylonia] who build big houses with money that you got by forcing others to give it to you. You are proud and you think that your houses will be safe because you have built them in places where you can easily defend them.
10 Thou hast counseled shame to thy house—making an end of many peoples, and endangering thine own life.
But because you have destroyed others, you have caused your family [MTY] to be shamed/disgraced, and you yourselves will be killed.
11 Surely, the stone out of the wall, will make outcry, —and, the tie out of the timber, will answer it.
[It is as though] the stones in the walls [of your houses] cry out to accuse you, and [it is as though] the beams [in your ceilings] also say the same things.
12 Alas! for him who buildeth a city with deeds of blood, —and establisheth a town with perversity.
Terrible things will happen to you [people of Babylonia] who kill people [MTY] in order to build cities, cities that you build by using money that you have gotten by committing crimes.
13 Lo! is it not from Yahweh of hosts—that peoples labour for fire, and, populations, for emptiness, weary themselves?
But the Commander of the armies of angels has [RHQ] declared that everything that is built by people who do things like that [will be destroyed by] fire; they will have worked hard uselessly.
14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh, —as, the waters, cover the sea.
But [in contrast], like [SIM] the oceans are filled with water, the earth will be filled with [people who] know that Yahweh is very great.
15 Alas! for him who causeth his neighbour to drink, from the goblet of thy fury, and also, making him drunk, —to the end thou mayest gloat over their parts of shame.
Terrible things will happen to you [people of Babylonia] who cause people who live in nearby countries to become drunk. You force them to drink a lot of wine from wineskins [until they are drunk and then they walk around] naked, in order that you can see that.
16 Thou art sated with contempt, more than glory, drink, thou too, and expose thy person, —the cup of the right hand of Yahweh, shall come round unto thee, and ignominious filth be upon thy glory;
But you are the ones who [soon] will be disgraced instead of being honored. [It will be as though you are forced to] drink [a lot of wine] in order that you will also stagger [around, drunk]. You will drink the wine [that symbolizes that Yahweh will punish you], and he will cause you to be disgraced instead of being greatly respected [any more].
17 For, the violence [done] to Lebanon, shall cover thee, and wasting by wild beasts shall cause them terror, —for shedding Human blood, and doing violence to the earth, to the city, and to all who dwell therein.
You did violent [PRS] things to [the people in] Lebanon, and you killed the wild animals [there], but you will be punished severely for doing that. You have killed [MTY] many people and you have destroyed their lands and their cities.
18 What hath a carved image, profited, though the fashioner thereof, carved it? a molten image, and a teacher of falsehood, —though the fashioner of his fashioned thing trusted therein? that men should make Dumb Nonentities!
[You people of Babylonia need to know that your] idols are completely [RHQ] useless, because it is people who made them. Statues that have been carved or made in a mold deceive you. Those who trust in idols are trusting in things that they themselves created, things that cannot speak!
19 Alas! for him who saith to wood, Awake, bestir thee! to a silent stone, he, shall teach! Though he is overlaid with gold and silver, yet, no spirit whatsoever, is in him!
Terrible things will happen to you who say to lifeless idols that are made of wood, ‘Wake up!’ Idols certainly cannot [RHQ] tell you what you should do; they [look nice/beautiful because] they are covered with silver and gold, but they are not alive.
20 Howbeit, Yahweh, is in his holy temple, —Hush before him, all the earth.
But Yahweh is in his holy temple; everyone on the earth should be silent in his presence.”
