1 I will take my stand and keep watch. I will take my place on the tower. And I will keep watch to see what the Lord will say, and how I should answer when He speaks strong words to me. The Lord’s Answer to Habakkuk

سَأقِفُ عَلَى بُرجِ المُراقَبَةِ، وَسَأنْتَصِبُ فِي مَكانِي عَلَى السُّورِ. سَأنْظُرُ لِأرَى ما سَيَقُولُهُ اللهُ لِي، وَكَيفَ سَيَستَجِيبُ لِشَكوايَ. جَوابُ الله

2 T hen the Lord answered me and said, “Write down the special dream on stone so that one may read it in a hurry.

فَأجابَنِي اللهُ: «اكتُبْ هَذِهِ الرُّؤْيا بِوُضُوحٍ عَلَى ألواحٍ، لِيَرْكُضَ كُلُّ مَنْ يَقرَأُها وَيُبَلِّغَها.

3 F or it is not yet time for it to come true. The time is coming in a hurry, and it will come true. If you think it is slow in coming, wait for it. For it will happen for sure, and it will not wait.

لِأنَّ الرُّؤْيا دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أنَّ الوَقتَ قَدْ تَحَدَّدَ، وَأنَّ وَقتَ النِّهايَةِ قَدْ تَثَبَّتَ. إنْ بَدا أنَّها تَتَحَقَّقُ بِبُطءٍ فَانتَظِرْها، لِأنَّها سَتَأتِي وَلَنْ تَتَأخَّرَ.

4 A s for the proud one, his soul is not right in him. But the one who is right and good will live by his faith. It Is Bad for the Wrong-Doers

الَّذِي تَتَكَبَّرُ نَفسُهُ لَنْ يَسلُكَ باستِقامَةٍ، أمّا البّارُّ فَبِالإيمانِ يَحيا.

5 “ Also, wine fools the proud man, so he does not stay at home. He is like the grave who always wants more. Like death, he never has enough. He gathers all nations for himself, and gathers all people for his own.

الثَّروَةُ كَالخَمْرِ الغادِرَةِ، تَخدَعُ الرَّجُلَ المُتَكَبِّرَ، وَالطَّمّاعُ كَالهاوِيَةِ لَنْ يَنْجَحَ. إنَّهُ كَالمَوتِ الَّذِي لا يَشبَعُ بَتاتاً. يَجمَعُ الأُمَمَ إلَيهِ، وَيُحضِرُ كُلَّ الشُّعُوبِ إلَى نَفسِهِ.

6 “ Will not all these people make fun of him and say, ‘It is bad for him who gathers what is not his and makes himself rich with other people’s money. How long will this go on?’

ألَنْ يَستَهزِئَ كُلُّ هَؤُلاءِ بِهِ، وَيَسخَرُونَ بِهزِيمَتِهِ؟ سَيَقُولُونَ: ‹يا لَحَسْرَتِكَ يا مَنْ تُكَوِّمُ ثَروَةً لَيسَتْ لَكَ! حَتَّى مَتَى سَتُغنيكَ بَضائِعُكَ المَرهُونَةُ؟›

7 W ill not those to whom you owe money rise up all at once? Will they not wake up and make you afraid? Then they will take what belongs to you.

ألَنْ يَقُومَ مُقرِضُوكَ فَجأةً؟ ألَنْ يَستَيقِظَ مُرعِبُوكَ؟ حِينَئِذٍ سَيَفتَرِسُونَكَ.

8 B ecause you have robbed many nations, the rest of them will rob you. For you have killed men. You have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

لِأنَّكَ سَلَبْتَ أُمَماً كَثِيرَةً، فَإنَّ بَقِيَّةَ الأُمَمِ سَتَسلِبُكِ، بِسَبَبِ الدَّمِ الَّذِي سُفِكَ وَالظُّلمِ الَّذِي أتَى عَلَى الأرْضِ، عَلَى المَدينةِ وَعلَى ساكِنِيها.

9 “ It is bad for him who builds his house by sinful ways, to put his nest in a high place to be safe from trouble!

وَيلٌ لَكَ يا مَنْ تَبنِي بُيُوتَكَ بِالظُّلْمِ! تَضَعُ عُشِّكَ عالِياً لِتَحمِيَ نَفسَكَ مِنَ الأذَى.

10 Y ou have brought shame upon your house by destroying many nations. You are sinning against yourself.

لَقَدْ خَطَّطْتَ لِذُلِّ وَمَهانَةِ بَيتِكَ، إذْ أفنَيْتَ شُعُوباً كَثِيرَةً. أخطأْتَ فِي حَقِّ نَفسِكَ.

11 T he stone will cry out from the wall, and the roof will answer it from the wood.

لِأنَّ حَجَراً مِنْ جِدارِ بَيتِكَ سَيَصرُخُ ضِدَّكَ، وَعارِضَةً خَشَبِيَّةً سَتُرَدِّدُ الصَّدَى.

12 “ It is bad for him who builds a city with blood, and builds a town with wrong-doing!

وَيلٌ لَكَ يا مَنْ تَبنِي مَدِينَةً بِدِماءِ الأبرِياءِ، يا مَنْ تُؤَسِّسُ قَريَةً بِالشَّرِّ وَالأذَى!

13 I s it not the will of the All-powerful Lord that people work for what will burn up and nations make themselves tired for nothing?

لَكِنَّ اللهَ القَدِيرَ يُرسِلُ ناراً، فَتَأكُلَ تَعَبَ الشُّعُوبِ، وَيَكُوُنُ كُلُّ عَنائِهِمْ هَباءً.

14 F or the earth will be filled with knowing of the Lord’s shining-greatness, as the waters cover the sea.

لِأنَّ الأرْضَ سَتَمتَلِئُ مِنْ مَجْدِ اللهِ ، كَما تُغَطِّي المِياهُ البَحْرَ.

15 “ It is bad for him who makes his neighbors drink, mixing in his poison to make them drunk, so he can look on their shame!

وَيلٌ لَكَ يا مَنْ تُسكِرُ صاحِبَكَ. يا مَنْ تَسكُبُ غَضَبَكَ، وَتُسكِرُهُ بِهِ لِتَنظُرَ إلَى عُرْيِهِ.

16 Y ou will be filled with shame instead of honor. Now you yourself drink and let your own shame be seen. The cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you, and your greatness will turn to shame.

شَبِعْتَ إهانَةً بَدَلَ الكَرامَةِ. أنْتَ أيضاً سَتَشرَبُ وَتَكشِفُ نَفسَكَ. كَأْسُ الغَضَبِ الَّذِي فِي يَمِينِ اللهِ لَكَ، وَسَيَحِلُّ بِكَ الخِزْيُ مَكانَ المَجْدِ.

17 T he bad things you have done to Lebanon will come back to you. Because you have killed its animals, now they will make you afraid. This will happen because of all the killing you have done. You have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

لِأنَّ الظُّلمَ الَّذِي حَلَّ بِلُبنانَ سَيُغَطَّيكَ، وَهَلاكُ حَيواناتِهِ سَيُرْعِبُكَ. بِسَبَبِ الدَّمِ وَالعُنفِ اللَّذِينِ أتَيا عَلَى الأرْضِ، عَلَى كُلِّ مَدِينَةٍ وَساكِنِيها.» الأوثان

18 “ Of what worth is a false god when a workman has made it? Of what worth is an object of worship, a teacher of lies? For the workman trusts in his own work when he makes these false gods that cannot speak.

ما الفائِدَةُ مِنْ وَثَنِ يَنحَتُهُ النَّحّاتَ؟ هُوَ لَيسَ سِوَى شَكلٍ مَسبُوكٍ يَكذِبُ صانِعُهُ عَلَى نَفسِهِ! لِأنَّهُ يَتَكِلُّ عَلَى تِمثالٍ أخرَسَ.

19 I t is bad for him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Wake up!’ or to a stone that cannot speak, ‘Get up!’ Can this teach you? See, it is covered with gold and silver. There is no breath in it.

وَيلٌ لَكَ يا مَنْ تَقُولُ لِخَشَبَةٍ: «استَيقِظِي!» أوْ تَقُولُ «قُومِي!» لِصَخرَةٍ صَمّاءَ. هَلْ يُعَلِّمَكَ التِّمثالُ؟ هَا إنَّهُ مَطلِيٌّ بِالذَّهَبِ وَالفِضَّةِ، وَلِيسَ فِيهِ نَفَسٌ.

20 B ut the Lord is in His holy house. Let all the earth be quiet before Him.”

لَكِنَّ اللهَ فِي هَيكَلِهِ المُقَدَّسِ، فَاصْمُتِي أمامَهُ يا كُلَّ الأرْضِ.