חֲבַקּוּק 2

1 עַל־מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣י אֶעֱמֹ֔דָה וְאֶֽתְיַצְּבָ֖ה עַל־מָצֹ֑ור וַאֲצַפֶּ֗ה לִרְאֹות֙ מַה־יְדַבֶּר־בִּ֔י וּמָ֥ה אָשִׁ֖יב עַל־תֹּוכַחְתִּֽי׃

I will climb my watchtower; I will take my place on the city wall. I will keep watch and see what he will say to me, how he will answer my grievances.

2 וַיַּעֲנֵ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ וַיֹּ֔אמֶר כְּתֹ֣וב חָזֹ֔ון וּבָאֵ֖ר עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֑ות לְמַ֥עַן יָר֖וּץ קֹ֥ורֵא בֹֽו׃

Then the Lord told me, Write down the vision, inscribe it on tablets, so it can be easily read.

3 כִּ֣י עֹ֤וד חָזֹון֙ לַמֹּועֵ֔ד וְיָפֵ֥חַ לַקֵּ֖ץ וְלֹ֣א יְכַזֵּ֑ב אִם־יִתְמַהְמָהּ֙ חַכֵּה־לֹ֔ו כִּֽי־בֹ֥א יָבֹ֖א לֹ֥א יְאַחֵֽר׃

For the vision is for a future time, it is about the end and it does not lie. If it seems slow in being fulfilled, wait for it, for it will definitely come—it will not be delayed!

4 הִנֵּ֣ה עֻפְּלָ֔ה לֹא־יָשְׁרָ֥ה נַפְשֹׁ֖ו בֹּ֑ו וְצַדִּ֖יק בֶּאֱמוּנָתֹ֥ו יִחְיֶֽה׃

Look at those who are proud! They do not live right. But those who live right do so through their trust in God.

5 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)

In addition wealth provides no security. Those who are arrogant never have any peace; their greedy mouths are as wide open as the grave, and like death they are never satisfied. They gather nations like possessions, swallowing up many peoples. (Sheol h7585)

6 הֲלֹוא־אֵ֣לֶּה כֻלָּ֗ם עָלָיו֙ מָשָׁ֣ל יִשָּׂ֔אוּ וּמְלִיצָ֖ה חִידֹ֣ות לֹ֑ו וְיֹאמַ֗ר הֹ֚וי הַמַּרְבֶּ֣ה לֹּא־לֹ֔ו עַד־מָתַ֕י וּמַכְבִּ֥יד עָלָ֖יו עַבְטִֽיט׃

Won't all these peoples taunt them? They will ridicule them, saying, “What disaster is coming to you who pile up things that don't belong to you! You make yourselves rich by forcing debtors to pay! How long can you go on doing this?”

7 הֲלֹ֣וא פֶ֗תַע יָק֙וּמוּ֙ נֹשְׁכֶ֔יךָ וְיִקְצ֖וּ מְזַעְזְעֶ֑יךָ וְהָיִ֥יתָ לִמְשִׁסֹּ֖ות לָֽמֹו׃

Won't your debtors suddenly act? Won't they wake up to the situation and make you tremble? You will be plunder for them!

8 כִּֽי אַתָּ֤ה שַׁלֹּ֙ותָ֙ גֹּויִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים יְשָׁלּ֖וּךָ כָּל־יֶ֣תֶר עַמִּ֑ים מִדְּמֵ֤י אָדָם֙ וַחֲמַס־אֶ֔רֶץ קִרְיָ֖ה וְכָל־יֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ פ

Because you have plundered many nations, those who are left will plunder you—for the human blood you have shed and the destruction you brought on lands and cities, and those who lived there.

9 הֹ֗וי בֹּצֵ֛עַ בֶּ֥צַע רָ֖ע לְבֵיתֹ֑ו לָשׂ֤וּם בַּמָּרֹום֙ קִנֹּ֔ו לְהִנָּצֵ֖ל מִכַּף־רָֽע׃

What disaster is coming to you who build houses through dishonest gain! You think you can place your “nest” so high it will be safe from disaster.

10 יָעַ֥צְתָּ בֹּ֖שֶׁת לְבֵיתֶ֑ךָ קְצֹות־עַמִּ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים וְחֹוטֵ֥א נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

Your evil schemes have brought shame upon your families, by destroying many nations you have forfeited your own lives.

11 כִּי־אֶ֖בֶן מִקִּ֣יר תִּזְעָ֑ק וְכָפִ֖יס מֵעֵ֥ץ יַעֲנֶֽנָּה׃ פ

Even the stones in the wall cry out in condemnation, and the wooden rafters join in too.

12 הֹ֛וי בֹּנֶ֥ה עִ֖יר בְּדָמִ֑ים וְכֹונֵ֥ן קִרְיָ֖ה בְּעַוְלָֽה׃

What disaster is coming to you who build cities with bloodshed, who found cities built on wickedness!

13 הֲלֹ֣וא הִנֵּ֔ה מֵאֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֑ות וְיִֽיגְע֤וּ עַמִּים֙ בְּדֵי־אֵ֔שׁ וּלְאֻמִּ֖ים בְּדֵי־רִ֥יק יִעָֽפוּ׃

Hasn't the Lord Almighty decided that all such nations work for will be destroyed by fire, that they wear themselves out for nothing?

14 כִּ֚י תִּמָּלֵ֣א הָאָ֔רֶץ לָדַ֖עַת אֶת־כְּבֹ֣וד יְהוָ֑ה כַּמַּ֖יִם יְכַסּ֥וּ עַל־יָֽם׃ ס

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord's glory as the waters fill the sea.

15 הֹ֚וי מַשְׁקֵ֣ה רֵעֵ֔הוּ מְסַפֵּ֥חַ חֲמָתְךָ֖ וְאַ֣ף שַׁכֵּ֑ר לְמַ֥עַן הַבִּ֖יט עַל־מְעֹורֵיהֶֽם׃

What disaster is coming to you who make your neighbors drunk! You force your cup of anger on them and make them drink so you may see them naked.

16 שָׂבַ֤עְתָּ קָלֹון֙ מִכָּבֹ֔וד שְׁתֵ֥ה גַם־אַ֖תָּה וְהֵֽעָרֵ֑ל תִּסֹּ֣וב עָלֶ֗יךָ כֹּ֚וס יְמִ֣ין יְהוָ֔ה וְקִיקָלֹ֖ון עַל־כְּבֹודֶֽךָ׃

In turn you will be filled with shame instead of glory. Drink yourself and expose your nakedness! The cup the Lord holds in his right hand will be passed round to you and your glory will turn to shame.

17 כִּ֣י חֲמַ֤ס לְבָנֹון֙ יְכַסֶּ֔ךָּ וְשֹׁ֥ד בְּהֵמֹ֖ות יְחִיתַ֑ן מִדְּמֵ֤י אָדָם֙ וַחֲמַס־אֶ֔רֶץ קִרְיָ֖ה וְכָל־יֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ ס

As you destroyed the forests of Lebanon you will also be destroyed; you hunted the animals there, and now they will hunt you. For you shed human blood and you destroyed lands and cities, along with those who lived there.

18 מָֽה־הֹועִ֣יל פֶּ֗סֶל כִּ֤י פְסָלֹו֙ יֹֽצְרֹ֔ו מַסֵּכָ֖ה וּמֹ֣ורֶה שָּׁ֑קֶר כִּ֣י בָטַ֞ח יֹצֵ֤ר יִצְרֹו֙ עָלָ֔יו לַעֲשֹׂ֖ות אֱלִילִ֥ים אִלְּמִֽים׃ ס

What use is a wooden idol carved by human hands, or a metal image that teaches lies? What is the point of their makers trusting in their own handiwork, creating idols that can't speak?

19 הֹ֣וי אֹמֵ֤ר לָעֵץ֙ הָקִ֔יצָה ע֖וּרִי לְאֶ֣בֶן דּוּמָ֑ם ה֣וּא יֹורֶ֔ה הִנֵּה־ה֗וּא תָּפוּשׂ֙ זָהָ֣ב וָכֶ֔סֶף וְכָל־ר֖וּחַ אֵ֥ין בְּקִרְבֹּֽו׃

What disaster is coming to you who say to something made of wood, “Wake up!” or to lifeless stone, “Get up!” Can it teach you anything? Look at it! It's covered with gold and silver, but there is no life inside it.

20 וַֽיהוָ֖ה בְּהֵיכַ֣ל קָדְשֹׁ֑ו הַ֥ס מִפָּנָ֖יו כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ פ

But the Lord is in his holy Temple; let all the earth be silent in his presence.