1 Op my wagtoring wil ek gaan staan en op 'n skansmuur my stel, en ek wil speur om te sien wat Hy in my sal spreek, en wat ek op my klagte moet antwoord.
2 Toe antwoord die HERE my en sê: Skryf die gesig op en graveer dit op tafels, sodat hulle dit in die verbygaan kan lees.
3 Want die gesig sal nog duur tot op die vasgestelde tyd; maar dit spoed na die einde en sal nie teleurstel nie. As dit mag vertoef, wag daarop; want alte seker sal dit kom en nie versuim nie:
4 Kyk, sy siel is opgeblase in hom en nie reg nie. Maar die regverdige, deur sy geloof sal hy lewe.
5 En bowendien, die wyn is 'n bedrieër, 'n trotse man is onbestendig: hy wat sy keel wyd oopmaak soos die doderyk, en soos die dood is hy, so onversadelik -- hy vergader vir homself al die nasies en maak vir hom al die volke bymekaar.
6 Sal hulle nie almal oor hom 'n spreuk, 'n spotlied aanhef nie, raaisels oor hom maak nie, en sê: Wee die man wat hom verryk met wat nie aan hom behoort nie -- hoe lank? -- en hom beswaar met verpande goed.
7 Sal die wat jou byt, nie skielik opstaan en jou skrikaanjaers nie opwaak, sodat jy vir hulle 'n prooi word nie?
8 Omdat jy baie nasies uitgebuit het, sal al die volke wat oorgebly het, jou uitbuit, weens die bloed van die mense en die geweld teen die land, die stad en al sy inwoners.
9 Wee hom wat vuil gewin maak vir sy huis, om sy nes in die hoogte te bou, om homself te red uit die greep van onheil.
10 Jy het skande beraadslaag vir jou huis: die uitroeiing van baie volke, en het jou lewe verbeur.
11 Want die steen uit die muur roep, en die balk uit die timmerasie gee hom antwoord.
12 Wee hom wat 'n stad bou met bloed en 'n vesting stig deur onreg.
13 Kyk, kom dit nie van die HERE van die leërskare dat volke arbei vir vuur en nasies hulle afmat vir niks nie?
14 Want die aarde sal vol word met die kennis van die heerlikheid van die HERE soos die waters die seebodem oordek.
15 Wee hom wat aan sy naaste drank gee, wat jou gif daarmee meng, en hulle ook dronk maak om hulle naaktheid te aanskou.
16 Jy het jou versadig met skande in plaas van met eer -- drink jy ook nou, en wees ontbloot. Na jou toe sal die beker van die regterhand van die HERE omgaan, en skande tref jou eer.
17 Want die geweld aan die L¡banon gepleeg, sal jou oordek; en die verwoesting waarmee die diere skrikgemaak is -- weens die bloed van die mense en die geweld teen die land, die stad en al sy inwoners.
18 Wat baat 'n gesnede beeld dat sy maker dit reggekap het, 'n gegote beeld, wat 'n leuenleraar is, dat die maker op sy eie maaksel vertrou, deur stomme afgode te maak?
19 Wee hom wat vir 'n stuk hout sê: Word wakker! vir 'n dooie klip: Ontwaak! Kan hy 'n mens leer? Kyk, hy is oorgetrek met goud en silwer, en daar is g,,n gees in sy binneste nie!
20 Maar die HERE is in sy heilige tempel -- swyg voor Hom, o ganse aarde!
1 I will take my position and be on watch, placing myself on my tower, looking out to see what he will say to me, and what answer he will give to my protest.
2 And the Lord gave me an answer, and said, Put the vision in writing and make it clear on stones, so that the reader may go quickly.
3 For the vision is still for the fixed time, and it is moving quickly to the end, and it will not be false: even if it is slow in coming, go on waiting for it; because it will certainly come, it will not be kept back.
4 As for the man of pride, my soul has no pleasure in him; but the upright man will have life through his good faith.
5 A curse on the cruel and false one! the man full of pride, who never has enough; who makes his desires wide as the underworld! he is like death; he is never full, but he makes all nations come to him, getting all peoples together to himself.
6 Will not all these take up a word of shame against him and a bitter saying against him, and say, A curse on him who goes on taking what is not his and is weighted down with the property of debtors!
7 Will not your creditors suddenly be moved against you, and your troublers get up from their sleep, and you will be to them like goods taken in war?
8 Because you have taken their goods from great nations, all the rest of the peoples will take your goods from you; because of men's blood and violent acts against the land and the town and all who are living in it.
9 A curse on him who gets evil profits for his family, so that he may put his resting-place on high and be safe from the hand of the wrongdoer!
10 You have been a cause of shame to your house by cutting off a number of peoples, and sinning against your soul.
11 For the stone will give a cry out of the wall, and it will be answered by the board out of the woodwork.
12 A curse on him who is building a place with blood, and basing a town on evil-doing!
13 See, is it not the pleasure of the Lord of armies that the peoples are working for the fire and using themselves up for nothing?
14 For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the sea is covered by the waters.
15 A curse on him who gives his neighbour the wine of his wrath, making him overcome with strong drink from the cup of his passion, so that you may be a witness of their shame!
16 You are full of shame in place of glory: take your part in the drinking, and let your shame be uncovered: the cup of the Lord's right hand will come round to you and your glory will be covered with shame.
17 For the violent acts against Lebanon will come on you, and the destruction of the cattle will be a cause of fear to you, because of men's blood and the violent acts against the land and the town and all who are living in it.
18 What profit is the pictured image to its maker? and as for the metal image, the false teacher, why does its maker put his faith in it, making false gods without a voice?
19 A curse on him who says to the wood, Awake! to the unbreathing stone, Up! let it be a teacher! See, it is plated with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it.
20 But the Lord is in his holy Temple: let all the earth be quiet before him.