Abacuc 2
1 Io starò alla mia vedetta, mi porrò sopra una torre, e starò attento a quello che l’Eterno mi dirà, e a quello che dovrò rispondere circa la rimostranza che ho fatto.
[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 E l’Eterno mi rispose e disse: “Scrivi la visione, incidila su delle tavole, perché si possa leggere speditamente;
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 poiché è una visione per un tempo già fissato; ella s’affretta verso la fine, e non mentirà; se tarda, aspettala; poiché per certo verrà; non tarderà”.
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 Ecco, l’anima sua è gonfia, non è retta in lui; ma il giusto vivrà per la sua fede.
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 E poi, il vino è perfido; l’uomo arrogante non può starsene tranquillo; egli allarga le sue brame come il soggiorno de’ morti; è come la morte e non si può saziare, ma raduna presso di sé tutte le nazioni, raccoglie intorno a sé tutti i popoli. (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 Tutti questi non faranno contro di lui proverbi, sarcasmi, enigmi? Si dirà: “Guai a colui che accumula ciò che non è suo! Fino a quando? Guai a colui che si carica di pegni!”
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 I tuoi creditori non si leveranno essi ad un tratto? I tuoi tormentatori non si desteranno essi? E tu diventerai loro preda.
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 Poiché tu hai saccheggiato molte nazioni, tutto il resto dei popoli ti saccheggerà, a motivo del sangue umano sparso, della violenza fatta ai paesi, alle città e a tutti i loro abitanti.
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 Guai a colui ch’è avido d’illecito guadagno per la sua casa, per porre il suo nido in alto e mettersi al sicuro dalla mano della sventura!
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 Tu hai divisato l’onta della tua casa, sterminando molti popoli; e hai peccato contro te stesso.
But because you have destroyed others, you have caused your family [MTY] to be shamed/disgraced, and you yourselves will be killed.
11 Poiché la pietra grida dalla parete, e la trave le risponde dall’armatura di legname.
[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 Guai a colui che edifica la città col sangue, e fonda una città sull’iniquità!
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 Ecco, questo non procede egli dall’Eterno che i popoli s’affatichino per il fuoco, e le nazioni si stanchino per nulla?
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 Poiché la terra sarà ripiena della conoscenza della gloria dell’Eterno, come le acque coprono il fondo del mare.
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 Guai a colui che dà da bere al prossimo, a te che gli versi il tuo veleno e l’ubriachi, per guardare la sua nudità!
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 Tu sarai saziato d’onta anziché di gloria; bevi anche tu, e scopri la tua incirconcisione! La coppa della destra dell’Eterno farà il giro fino a te, e l’ignominia coprirà la tua gloria.
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 Poiché la violenza fatta al Libano e la devastazione che spaventava le bestie, ricadranno su te, a motivo del sangue umano sparso, della violenza fatta ai paesi, alle città e a tutti loro abitanti.
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 A che giova l’immagine scolpita perché l’artefice la scolpisca? A che giova l’immagine fusa che insegna la menzogna, perché l’artefice si confidi nel suo lavoro, fabbricando idoli muti?
[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 Guai a chi dice al legno: “Svegliati!” e alla pietra muta: “Lèvati!” Può essa ammaestrare? Ecco, è ricoperta d’oro e d’argento, ma non v’è in lei spirito alcuno.
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 Ma l’Eterno è nel suo tempio santo; tutta la terra faccia silenzio in presenza sua!
But Yahweh is in his holy temple; everyone on the earth should be silent in his presence.”
