CHAPTER 2
1 On my keeping I shall stand, and shall pitch my step on [the] warding; and I shall behold, that I see what thing shall be said to me, and what I shall answer to him that reproveth me. (I shall stand watch at my station, and shall climb the stairs of the watchtower; and I shall see, what shall be said to me, and what I shall answer to him who rebuketh me.)
2 And the Lord answered to me, and said, Write thou the sight, either revelation, and make it plain on tables, that he (may) run, that shall read it. (And the Lord said to me, Write thou what thou seest, and make it clear on a tablet, ready for a courier to carry it with haste or so that it can easily be read.)
3 For yet the vision is far, and it shall appear into the end, and shall not lie; if it shall make dwelling, abide thou it, for it coming shall come, and shall not tarry. (For yet the vision is far off, but it shall appear in the end, and it shall not lie; and even if it appeareth to be delayed, wait thou for it, for it is coming, and indeed shall come, and shall not be late.)
4 Lo! the soul of him, that is unbelieveful, shall not be rightful in himself; forsooth the just man shall live in his faith. (Behold! the soul of him, who is unbelieving, shall not be right within himself; but the just, (or the righteous), shall live by faith.)
5 And as wine deceiveth a man drinking, so shall the proud man be, and he shall not be made fair; for as hell he alarged his soul, and he is as death, and he is not [ful] filled; and he shall gather to him all folks, and he shall gather together to him all peoples. (And like wine deceiveth someone who is drinking, so shall be the proud person, and he shall never be content, or at peace; for he enlarged his soul, or his mouth, as wide as Sheol, or the land of the dead, but he, like death itself, shall never be satisfied, or fulfilled; even though he shall gather all the nations unto himself, yea, though he shall gather together all the peoples unto himself.)
6 Whether not all these peoples shall take a parable on him, and the speaking of dark sentences of him? And it shall be said, Woe to him that multiplieth things not his own; how long, and he aggregateth against himself thick clay? (Shall not all these (peoples) turn him into a parable, (or an example), and speak dark sentences about him? And so it shall be said, Woe to you who multiplieth riches not your own! how long shall you gather unto yourself things taken in pledge?)
7 Whether not suddenly they shall rise together, that shall bite thee? And they shall be raised tearing thee, and thou shalt be into raven to them; and thine ambushers in evil shall wake. (Shall they not suddenly rise up, and bite thee? Yea, they shall be raised up, and shall tear thee apart, and thou shalt become prey, or spoils, to them; and thy ambushers in evil shall watch for thy fall.)
8 For thou robbedest many folks, all shall rob thee, which shall be residue, either left, of peoples, for blood of man, and for wickedness of land, of the city, and of all men dwelling in it. (For thou hast robbed many nations, all who shall be the residue, or those left, of the peoples, shall rob thee, for the bloodshed, or the murder, of the people, and for the wickedness done in the land, to the city, and to all the people who live there.)
9 Woe to him that gathereth evil covetousness to his house, that his nest be on high, and guesseth him for to be
delivered (out) of the hand of evil. (Woe to you who gathereth evil gain, or filthy lucre, unto your house, so that your nest would be on high, and thinketh yourself to be delivered, or saved, from the hand of evil.)
10 Thou thoughtest confusion to thine house; thou hast slain many peoples, and thy soul sinned. (Thou hast brought shame to thy house; thou hast killed many people, yea, thy soul hath sinned.)
11 For the stone of the wall shall cry, and a tree that is betwixt jointures of buildings shall answer. (And so the stones in the walls shall cry out, and a beam of the timbers that is between the joinings of the building shall answer them.)
12 Woe to him that buildeth a city in bloods, and maketh ready a city in wickedness. (Woe to you who buildeth a city with bloodshed, or with murder, and who maketh ready a city with wickedness.)
13 Whether not these things be of the Lord of hosts? For peoples shall travail in much fire, and folks in vain, and they shall fail. (Be not all these things from the Lord of hosts? For peoples and nations shall labour, or shall struggle, amid much fire, or much adversity, and all for nothing, for they all shall fail.)
14 For the earth shall be filled, that it know the glory of the Lord, as waters covering the sea. (For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, like the waters covering, or filling, the sea.)
15 Woe to him that giveth drink to his friend, and sendeth his gall, and maketh drunken, that he behold his nakedness. (Woe to you who sendeth your gall, or your anger, onto your friend, as if giving him drink, and maketh him drunk, so that you can behold his shame, or his nakedness.)
16 He is filled with evil fame for glory; and thou drink, and be fast asleep; the cup of the right half of the Lord shall compass thee, and casting up, either spewing, of evil fame (shall be)[up] on thy glory. (Thou shalt be filled with shame and not with glory; yea, thou shalt drink, and then be asleep; the cup of the right hand of the Lord shall be given to thee, and then thy shame shall exceed thy glory.)
17 For the wickedness of Lebanon shall cover thee, and [the] destruction of beasts shall make them afeared, of bloods of man, and of wickedness of [the] land, and of the city, and of all men dwelling therein. (For the wickedness done to Lebanon shall now be done to thee, and the destruction of its beasts shall now make thee afraid, because of the bloodshed, or the murder, of the people, and the wickedness done in the land, to the city, and to all the people who live there.)
18 What profiteth the graven image, for his maker graved it, a welled thing together, and [a] false image? for the maker thereof hoped in [the] making, that he made dumb simulacra. (What is the profit, or the benefit, of an engraved figure? for its maker engraved it, a thing welded together, yet it is but a false, or an empty, and useless, image; even though its maker hoped in the making of it, he hath made only dumb idols.)
19 Woe to him that saith to a tree, Wake thou; (and), Rise thou, to a stone being still; whether he shall be able to teach? Lo! this (thing) is covered with gold and silver, and no spirit is in his entrails. (Woe to you who saith to a piece of wood, Wake up thou! and, Rise thou! to a stone being still; shall it be able to teach you (anything)? Behold! this thing is covered with gold and silver, but there is no breath in its innards.)
20 Forsooth the Lord is in his holy temple, all earth be still from his face. (But the Lord is in his holy Temple, let all the earth be silent before him.)