Habacuc Propheta 2
1 Super custodiam meam stabo, et figam gradum super munitionem: et contemplabor ut videam quid dicatur mihi, et quid respondeam ad arguentem me.
[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 Et respondit mihi Dominus, et dixit: Scribe visum, et explana eum super tabulas: ut percurrat qui legerit eum.
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 Quia adhuc visus procul, et apparebit in finem, et non mentietur. si moram fecerit expecta illum: quia veniens veniet, et non tardabit.
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 Ecce qui incredulus est, non erit recta anima eius in semetipso: iustus autem in fide sua vivet.
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 Et quomodo vinum potantem decipit: sic erit vir superbus, et non decorabitur: qui dilatavit quasi infernus animam suam: et ipse quasi mors, et non adimpletur: et congregavit ad se omnes gentes, et coacervavit ad se omnes populos. (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 Numquid non omnes isti super eum parabolam sument, et loquelam aenigmatum eius: et dicetur: Vae ei, qui multiplicat non sua? usquequo aggravat contra se densum lutum?
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 Numquid non repente consurgent qui mordeant te: et suscitabuntur lacerantes te, et eris in rapinam eis?
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 Quia tu spoliasti gentes multas, spoliabunt te omnes, qui reliqui fuerint de populis propter sanguinem hominis et iniquitatem terrae civitatis, et omnium habitantium in ea.
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 Vae qui congregat avaritiam malam domui suae, ut sit in excelso nidus eius, et liberari se putat de manu mali.
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 Cogitasti confusionem domui tuae, concidisti populos multos, et peccavit anima tua.
But because you have destroyed others, you have caused your family [MTY] to be shamed/disgraced, and you yourselves will be killed.
11 Quia lapis de pariete clamabit: et lignum, quod inter iuncturas aedificiorum est, respondebit.
[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 Vae qui aedificat civitatem in sanguinibus, et praeparat urbem in iniquitate.
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 Numquid non haec sunt a Domino exercituum? Laborabunt enim populi in multo igne: et gentes in vacuum, et deficient.
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 Quia replebitur terra, ut cognoscant gloriam Domini, quasi aquae operientes 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 Vae qui potum dat amico suo mittens fel suum, et inebrians ut aspiciat nuditatem eius.
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 Repletus es ignominia pro gloria: bibe tu quoque, et consopire: circumdabit te calix dexterae Domini, et vomitus ignominiae super gloriam tuam.
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 Quia iniquitas Libani operiet te, et vastitas animalium deterrebit eos de sanguinibus hominis, et iniquitate terrae, et civitatis, et omnium habitantium in ea.
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 Quid prodest sculptile, quia sculpsit illud fictor suus, conflatile, et imaginem falsam? quia speravit in figmento fictor eius ut faceret simulacra muta.
[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 Vae qui dicit ligno: Expergiscere: Surge, lapidi tacenti: numquid ipse docere poterit? Ecce iste coopertus est auro, et argento: et omnis spiritus non est in visceribus eius.
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 Dominus autem in templo sancto suo: sileat a facie eius omnis terra.
But Yahweh is in his holy temple; everyone on the earth should be silent in his presence.”
