< Habakkuk 2 >

1 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.
On my kepyng Y schal stonde, and schal pitche a grees on wardyng; and Y schal biholde, that Y se what thing schal be seid to me, and what Y schal answere to hym that repreuith me.
2 Then Yahweh answered me, and said, Write the vision, Yea, make it plain on tablets, that one may swiftly read it;
And the Lord answeride to me, and seide, Write thou the reuelacioun, and make it pleyn on tablis, that he renne, that schal rede it.
3 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.
For yit the visioun is fer, and it schal appere in to ende, and schal not lie; if it schal make dwellyng, abide thou it, for it comynge schal come, and schal not tarie.
4 Lo! as for the conceited one, crooked is his soul within him, - but, one who is righteous, by his faithfulness, shall live.
Lo! the soule of hym, that is vnbileueful, schal not be riytful in hym silf; forsothe the iust man schal lyue in his feith.
5 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)
And as wyn disseyueth a man drynkynge, so schal the proude man be, and he schal not be maad feir; for as helle he alargide his soule, and he is as deth, and he is not fillid; and he schal gadere to hym alle folkis, and he shal kepe togidere to hym alle puplis. (Sheol h7585)
6 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?
Whether not alle these puplis schulen take a parable on hym, and the speking of derk sentencis of hym? And it schal be seid, Wo to hym that multiplieth thingis not his owne; hou longe, and he aggreggith ayens hym silf thicke clei?
7 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!
Whether not sudeynli thei schulen rise to gidere, that schulen bite thee? And thei schulen be reisid to-teerynge thee, and thou schalt be in to raueyn to hem; and thin aspieris in yuel schulen wake.
8 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.
For thou robbidist many folkis, alle schulen robbe thee, whiche schulen be left of puplis, for blood of man, and for wickidnesse of lond of the citee, and of alle men dwellynge in it.
9 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.
Wo to hym that gaderith yuel coueitise to his hous, that his nest be in hiy, and gessith hym for to be delyuered of the hond of yuel.
10 Thou hast counseled shame to thy house—making an end of many peoples, and endangering thine own life.
Thou thouytist confusioun to thin hous; thou hast slayn many puplis, and thi soule synnede.
11 Surely, the stone out of the wall, will make outcry, —and, the tie out of the timber, will answer it.
For a stoon of the wal schal crie, and a tree that is bitwixe ioynturis of bildyngis schal answere.
12 Alas! for him who buildeth a city with deeds of blood, —and establisheth a town with perversity.
Wo to hym that bildith a citee in bloodis, and makith redi a citee in wickidnesse.
13 Lo! is it not from Yahweh of hosts—that peoples labour for fire, and, populations, for emptiness, weary themselves?
Whether not these thingis ben of the Lord of oostis? For puplis schulen trauele in myche fier, and folkis in veyn, and thei schulen faile.
14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh, —as, the waters, cover the sea.
For the erthe schal be fillid, that it knowe the glorie of the Lord, as watris hilynge the see.
15 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.
Wo to hym that yyueth drynk to his frend, and sendith his galle, and makith drunkun, that he biholde his nakidnesse.
16 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;
He is fillid with yuel fame for glorie; and thou drynke, and be aslept; the cuppe of the riythalf of the Lord schal cumpasse thee, and `castynge vp of yuel fame on thi glorie.
17 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.
For the wickidnesse of Liban schal kyuere thee, and distruccioun of beestis schal make hem aferd, of bloodis of man, and of wickidnesse of lond, and of the citee, and of alle men dwellynge ther ynne.
18 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!
What profitith the `grauun ymage, for his makere grauyde it, a wellid thing togidere and fals ymage? for the makere therof hopide in makyng, that he made doumbe symylacris.
19 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!
Wo to hym that seith to a tre, Wake thou; Rise thou, to a stoon beynge stille; whether he schal mow teche? Lo! this is kyuerid with gold and siluer, and no spirit is in his entrails.
20 Howbeit, Yahweh, is in his holy temple, —Hush before him, all the earth.
Forsothe the Lord is in his hooli temple, al erthe be stille fro his face.

< Habakkuk 2 >