1我要登上瞭望塔，
站在望樓上等候，
看耶和華要對我說什麼，
要怎樣答覆我的抱怨。
耶和華的答覆
2耶和華對我說：
「將我的啟示記下來，
清楚地刻在版上，
便於人們閱讀。
3這啟示實現的日期還沒到，
它是關於末後的事，沒有虛假。
即使緩慢，也要等候，
因為這事終必發生，不再遲延。
4看那驕傲之人，他們心術不正，
但義人必靠信心2·4 「信心」或譯「忠信」。而活。
5財富2·5 「財富」參照死海古卷，多個希伯來抄本為「酒」。會欺騙人，
使驕傲之人永不安分，
像陰間一樣貪得無厭，
如死亡一般永不滿足。
因此，他們征服列國，
擄掠萬民。
6「但那些被擄的人必用詩歌和俗語嘲諷他們，說，
『你們有禍了！
你們吞沒別人的財產，
靠剝削別人囤積財富，
要到何時呢？』
7向你們借債的人必突然攻擊你們，
使你們戰戰兢兢，
成為俘虜。
8你們從前擄掠許多國家，
殺人流血，
摧毀他們的土地、城市和人民，
所以各國的餘民必掠奪你們。
9「為自己的家積蓄不義之財、
在高處搭窩躲避災禍的人啊，
你們有禍了！
10你們陰謀毀滅各族，
以致自辱己家，自害己命。
11牆上的石頭必高聲指控你們，
房子的梁木必同聲回應。
12「以人血建城邑，
以罪惡造城池的人啊，
你們有禍了！
13列邦的財富都化為灰燼，
列國勞碌卻是一場空。
這不都是出於萬軍之耶和華嗎？
14大地必充滿對耶和華之榮耀的認識，
就像海洋充滿了水一樣。
15「用酒灌醉鄰居以觀看他們祼體的人啊，
你們有禍了！
16你們必飽受羞辱，毫無榮耀。
你們喝吧，露出下體吧！
耶和華右手中的杯將傳給你們，
你們的榮耀將變成羞辱。
17你們以暴虐對待黎巴嫩，
自己必被暴虐吞噬；
你們毀滅野獸，
自己必被恐怖籠罩。
因為你們殺人流血，
摧毀土地、城市和人民。
18「雕刻的偶像有什麼益處？
騙人的鑄像有什麼用處？
製造者竟信靠自己造的啞巴偶像！
19對木頭說『醒醒吧』，
對啞巴石頭說『起來吧』的人啊，你們有禍了！
它們能教導你們嗎？
看啊，它們外面包金裹銀，
裡面卻毫無生命。
20但耶和華住在祂的聖殿中，
世人都要在祂面前肅靜。」
1I will go up to the lookout tower.
I’ll station myself on the city wall.
I’ll wait to see how the Lord will reply to me.
Then I’ll try to figure out how his reply answers what I’ve complained about.
The Lord Replies to Habakkuk
2The Lord replies,
“Write down the message I am giving you.
Write it clearly on the tablets you use.
Then a messenger can read it
and run to announce it.
3The message I give you
waits for the time I have appointed.
It speaks about what is going to happen.
And all of it will come true.
It might take a while.
But wait for it.
You can be sure it will come.
It will happen when I want it to.
4“The Babylonians are very proud.
What they want is not good.
“But the person who is godly
will live by his faithfulness.
5“Wine makes the Babylonians do foolish things.
They are proud. They never rest.
Like the grave, they are always hungry for more.
Like death, they are never satisfied.
They gather all the nations to themselves.
They take all those people away as prisoners.
6“Won’t those people laugh at the Babylonians? Won’t they make fun of them? They will say to them,
“ ‘How terrible it will be for you
who pile up stolen goods!
You get rich by cheating others.
How long will this go on?’
7Those you owe money to will suddenly rise up.
They will wake up
and make you tremble with fear.
Then they will take away
everything you have.
8You have robbed many nations.
So the nations that are left will rob you.
You have spilled human blood.
You have destroyed lands and cities
and everyone in them.
9“How terrible it will be for the Babylonians!
They build their kingdom with money
that they gained by cheating others.
They have tried to make the kingdom
as secure as possible.
After all, they did not want to be destroyed.
10They have planned to wipe out many nations.
But they have brought shame on their own kingdom.
So they must pay with their own lives.
11The stones in the walls of their homes will cry out.
And the wooden beams will echo that cry.
12“How terrible it will be for the Babylonians!
They build cities by spilling the blood of others.
They establish towns by doing what is wrong.
13I am the Lord who rules over all.
Human effort is no better than wood that feeds a fire.
So the nations wear themselves out for nothing.
14The oceans are full of water.
In the same way, the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of my glory.
15“How terrible it will be for the Babylonians!
They give drinks to their neighbors.
They pour the drinks from wineskins
until their neighbors are drunk.
They want to look at their naked bodies.
16But the Babylonians will be filled
with shame instead of glory.
So now it is their turn to drink
and be stripped of their clothes.
The cup of anger in my powerful right hand
is going to punish them.
They will be covered with shame instead of glory.
17The harm they have done to Lebanon
will bring them down.
Because they have killed so many animals,
animals will terrify them.
They have spilled human blood.
They have destroyed lands and cities
and everyone in them.
18“If someone carves a statue of a god, what is it worth?
What value is there in a god
that teaches lies?
The one who trusts in this kind of god
worships his own creation.
He makes statues of gods that can’t speak.
19How terrible it will be for the Babylonians!
They say to a wooden god, ‘Come to life!’
They say to a stone god, ‘Wake up!’
Can those gods give advice?
They are covered with gold and silver.
They can’t even breathe.”
20The Lord is in his holy temple.
Let the whole earth be silent in front of him.
