Abacuc 2

1 IO me ne stava nella mia vedetta, e mi teneva in piè nella fortezza, e considerava, per veder ciò che [il Signore] mi direbbe, e ciò che io potrei rispondere a quello che mi sarebbe opposto.

[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 il Signore mi rispose, e disse: Scrivi la visione, e distendi[la] chiaramente sopra delle tavole; acciocchè 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 Perciocchè [vi è] ancora visione fino ad un certo tempo, e [il Signore] parlerà [ancora delle cose che avverranno] alla fine, e non mentirà; se tarda, aspettalo, perciocchè egli per certo verrà, e non indugerà.

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 di colui che si sottrae non è diritta in lui; ma il giusto viverà 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 inoltre, il vino è perfido; [e] l'uomo superbo non sussisterà; perciocchè egli ha allargata l'anima sua, a guisa del sepolcro; ed [e stato] come la morte, e non si è saziato, ed ha accolte a sè tutte le genti, ed ha radunati a sè 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 [popoli] non prenderanno essi a proverbiarlo, ed a motteggiarlo, e a dire: Guai a chi accumula [ciò che] non [è] suo? infino a quando si ammasserà egli addosso dello spesso fango?

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 Non si leveranno eglino di subito di quelli che ti morderanno? e non si desteranno eglino di quelli che ti scrolleranno, ed a cui tu sarai in 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 Perciocchè tu hai spogliate molte genti, tutto il rimanente de' popoli ti spoglierà; per gli omicidii degli uomini, e per la violenza [fatto] alla terra, alle città, ed 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 che è acceso di malvagia cupidigia per la sua casa, per mettere il suo nido in luogo alto, per iscampar dal male!

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 preso un consiglio [che sarà] di confusione alla tua casa: di tagliare a pezzi molti popoli; ed hai peccato contro all'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 Perciocchè la pietra griderà dalla parete, e il mattone testimonierà di ciò d'infra il 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 con sangue, e che la fonda con 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] dal Signor degli eserciti, che i popoli si sieno faticati per lo fuoco, e le nazioni si sieno stancate [intorno ad un lavoro che dovea esser ridotto] al niente?

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 Conciossiachè la terra abbia da esser ripiena della gloria del Signore, siccome le acque coprono il [fondo del] mare; acciocchè quella sia riconosciuta.

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 bere a' suoi compagni! [guai] a te, che versi loro il tuo veleno e li innebbrii, per riguardare le lor vergogne!

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 di vituperio, [e spogliato] di gloria; bevi ancora tu, e scopri le tue vergogne; la coppa della destra del Signore si rivolgerà a te, e [vi sarà] vomito vituperoso sopra [il seggio del]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 Perciocchè la violenza [usata contro] al Libano ti coprirà, e il guasto fatto dalle bestie ti spaventerà; per cagione del sangue degli uomini, e della violenza [usata] contro alla terra, alle città, ed a tutti i 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 Che giova la scultura, perchè il suo formatore la scolpisca? [che giova] la statua di getto, e il dottor di menzogna, perchè l'artefice si confidi nel suo lavoro, facendo degl'idoli mutoli?

[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 colui che dice al legno: Risvegliati! [ed] alla pietra mutola: Destati! potrebbe quella insegnar [cosa alcuna?] Ecco, ella è coperta d'oro, e d'argento; e non [vi è] dentro di 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 il Signore [è] nel Tempio della sua santità; fa' silenzio per la sua presenza, o terra tutta.

But Yahweh is in his holy temple; everyone on the earth should be silent in his presence.”