חֲבַקּוּק 2

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

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.

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

Then Yahweh answered me, and said, Write the vision, Yea, make it plain on tablets, that one may swiftly read it;

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

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.

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

Lo! as for the conceited one, crooked is his soul within him, - but, one who is righteous, by his faithfulness, shall live.

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)

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)

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

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?

7 הֲלֹ֣וא פֶ֗תַע יָק֙וּמוּ֙ נֹשְׁכֶ֔יךָ וְיִקְצ֖וּ מְזַעְזְעֶ֑יךָ וְהָיִ֥יתָ לִמְשִׁסֹּ֖ות לָֽמֹו׃

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!

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

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.

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

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.

10 יָעַ֥צְתָּ בֹּ֖שֶׁת לְבֵיתֶ֑ךָ קְצֹות־עַמִּ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים וְחֹוטֵ֥א נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

Thou hast counseled shame to thy house—making an end of many peoples, and endangering thine own life.

11 כִּי־אֶ֖בֶן מִקִּ֣יר תִּזְעָ֑ק וְכָפִ֖יס מֵעֵ֥ץ יַעֲנֶֽנָּה׃ פ

Surely, the stone out of the wall, will make outcry, —and, the tie out of the timber, will answer it.

12 הֹ֛וי בֹּנֶ֥ה עִ֖יר בְּדָמִ֑ים וְכֹונֵ֥ן קִרְיָ֖ה בְּעַוְלָֽה׃

Alas! for him who buildeth a city with deeds of blood, —and establisheth a town with perversity.

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

Lo! is it not from Yahweh of hosts—that peoples labour for fire, and, populations, for emptiness, weary themselves?

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

For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh, —as, the waters, cover the sea.

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

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.

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

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;

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

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.

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

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!

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

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!

20 וַֽיהוָ֖ה בְּהֵיכַ֣ל קָדְשֹׁ֑ו הַ֥ס מִפָּנָ֖יו כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ פ

Howbeit, Yahweh, is in his holy temple, —Hush before him, all the earth.