Ἀμβακούμ 2

1 ἐπὶ τῆς φυλακῆς μου στήσομαι καὶ ἐπιβήσομαι ἐπὶ πέτραν καὶ ἀποσκοπεύσω τοῦ ἰδεῖν τί λαλήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ τί ἀποκριθῶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἔλεγχόν μου

I will take my stand on my watch-tower, and station myself on a turret. I will watch to see what the Lord will say to me, what answer he will make to my complaint.

2 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη πρός με κύριος καὶ εἶπεν γράψον ὅρασιν καὶ σαφῶς ἐπὶ πυξίον ὅπως διώκῃ ὁ ἀναγινώσκων αὐτά

Then the Lord answered me and said: Inscribe the vision plainly on tablets, so that even someone running by could read it.

3 διότι ἔτι ὅρασις εἰς καιρὸν καὶ ἀνατελεῖ εἰς πέρας καὶ οὐκ εἰς κενόν ἐὰν ὑστερήσῃ ὑπόμεινον αὐτόν ὅτι ἐρχόμενος ἥξει καὶ οὐ μὴ χρονίσῃ

Though the vision waits for the time set, it hastens to fulfilment and will not fail; Though it linger long, wait for it. For it surely will come and will not be delayed.

4 ἐὰν ὑποστείληται οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεώς μου ζήσεται

The strength of the proud fails, but the upright lives by their faithfulness.

5 ὁ δὲ κατοινωμένος καὶ καταφρονητὴς ἀνὴρ ἀλαζών οὐδὲν μὴ περάνῃ ὃς ἐπλάτυνεν καθὼς ὁ ᾅδης τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ οὗτος ὡς θάνατος οὐκ ἐμπιπλάμενος καὶ ἐπισυνάξει ἐπ’ αὐτὸν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη καὶ εἰσδέξεται πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντας τοὺς λαούς (Sheol h7585)

Wealth is treacherous, the arrogant never have enough. They make their desire as wide as Sheol, are like death, unsatisfied, For they gather to themselves all the nations, bring together to themselves all peoples. (Sheol h7585)

6 οὐχὶ ταῦτα πάντα παραβολὴν κατ’ αὐτοῦ λήμψονται καὶ πρόβλημα εἰς διήγησιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐροῦσιν οὐαὶ ὁ πληθύνων ἑαυτῷ τὰ οὐκ ὄντα αὐτοῦ ἕως τίνος καὶ βαρύνων τὸν κλοιὸν αὐτοῦ στιβαρῶς

Shouldn’t everyone mock them? sing a taunt-song against them, and say: Woe to the person who amasses what is not theirs, and loads them self down with goods taken in pledge!

7 ὅτι ἐξαίφνης ἀναστήσονται δάκνοντες αὐτόν καὶ ἐκνήψουσιν οἱ ἐπίβουλοί σου καὶ ἔσῃ εἰς διαρπαγὴν αὐτοῖς

Won’t your creditors suddenly rise, and those who will overthrow you awake, and you become their prey?

8 διότι σὺ ἐσκύλευσας ἔθνη πολλά σκυλεύσουσίν σε πάντες οἱ ὑπολελειμμένοι λαοὶ δῑ αἵματα ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἀσεβείας γῆς καὶ πόλεως καὶ πάντων τῶν κατοικούντων αὐτήν

For as you have plundered many peoples, the survivors will prey upon you. You have shed blood and committed violence to the earth, peoples and their cities.

9 ὦ ὁ πλεονεκτῶν πλεονεξίαν κακὴν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ τοῦ τάξαι εἰς ὕψος νοσσιὰν αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἐκσπασθῆναι ἐκ χειρὸς κακῶν

Woe to you who seeks unjust gain for your dynasty, who sets your nest on high to be safe from the reach of misfortune!

10 ἐβουλεύσω αἰσχύνην τῷ οἴκῳ σου συνεπέρανας λαοὺς πολλούς καὶ ἐξήμαρτεν ἡ ψυχή σου

You have planned only shame for your dynasty. You have destroyed many peoples, and brought guilt upon yourself;

11 διότι λίθος ἐκ τοίχου βοήσεται καὶ κάνθαρος ἐκ ξύλου φθέγξεται αὐτά

the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the timber will answer it.

12 οὐαὶ ὁ οἰκοδομῶν πόλιν ἐν αἵμασιν καὶ ἑτοιμάζων πόλιν ἐν ἀδικίαις

Woe to the person who builds a city by bloodshed, and founds a town by crime

13 οὐ ταῦτά ἐστιν παρὰ κυρίου παντοκράτορος καὶ ἐξέλιπον λαοὶ ἱκανοὶ ἐν πυρί καὶ ἔθνη πολλὰ ὠλιγοψύχησαν

while the peoples toil for what fires will consume, and the nations weary themselves for nothing! This the Lord of hosts has said,

14 ὅτι πλησθήσεται ἡ γῆ τοῦ γνῶναι τὴν δόξαν κυρίου ὡς ὕδωρ κατακαλύψει αὐτούς

and the earth will be as full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the seas are full of water.

15 ὦ ὁ ποτίζων τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ ἀνατροπῇ θολερᾷ καὶ μεθύσκων ὅπως ἐπιβλέπῃ ἐπὶ τὰ σπήλαια αὐτῶν

Woe to him who in fury gives drink to his neighbor to make him drunk, and see him naked.

16 πλησμονὴν ἀτιμίας ἐκ δόξης πίε καὶ σὺ καὶ διασαλεύθητι καὶ σείσθητι ἐκύκλωσεν ἐπὶ σὲ ποτήριον δεξιᾶς κυρίου καὶ συνήχθη ἀτιμία ἐπὶ τὴν δόξαν σου

You are filled with shame, not glory; drink yourself and be uncovered. The cup from the Lord’s hand will pass in turn to you, and shame will cover your glory!

17 διότι ἀσέβεια τοῦ Λιβάνου καλύψει σε καὶ ταλαιπωρία θηρίων πτοήσει σε διὰ αἵματα ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἀσεβείας γῆς καὶ πόλεως καὶ πάντων τῶν κατοικούντων αὐτήν

For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, the destruction of animals will terrify you, because you shed people’s blood on the earth, destroyed people and their cities.

18 τί ὠφελεῖ γλυπτόν ὅτι ἔγλυψαν αὐτό ἔπλασαν αὐτὸ χώνευμα φαντασίαν ψευδῆ ὅτι πέποιθεν ὁ πλάσας ἐπὶ τὸ πλάσμα αὐτοῦ τοῦ ποιῆσαι εἴδωλα κωφά

What use is an idol? A human made it, a metal image. It cannot speak, it cannot teach truth, Why does its maker trust it?

19 οὐαὶ ὁ λέγων τῷ ξύλῳ ἔκνηψον ἐξεγέρθητι καὶ τῷ λίθῳ ὑψώθητι καὶ αὐτό ἐστιν φαντασία τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν ἔλασμα χρυσίου καὶ ἀργυρίου καὶ πᾶν πνεῦμα οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτῷ

Woe to the person who says to a block, awake! to a dumb stone, arise! What can it teach? It may be set with gold and silver, but there is no breath at all within it.

20 ὁ δὲ κύριος ἐν ναῷ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ εὐλαβείσθω ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ

The Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!