Habakkuk 2

1 I will take my stand on my watch-tower, and station myself on a turret. I will watch to see what the Lord will say to me, what answer he will make to my complaint.

I will stand upon my watch, and set myself upon the tower, and will look forth to see what he will speak with me, and what I shall answer concerning my complaint.

2 Then the Lord answered me and said: Inscribe the vision plainly on tablets, so that even someone running by could read it.

And Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run who reads it.

3 Though the vision waits for the time set, it hastens to fulfilment and will not fail; Though it linger long, wait for it. For it surely will come and will not be delayed.

For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hastens toward the end, and shall not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come. It will not delay.

4 The strength of the proud fails, but the upright lives by their faithfulness.

Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright in him. (But the righteous man shall live by his faith.

5 Wealth is treacherous, the arrogant never have enough. They make their desire as wide as Sheol, are like death, unsatisfied, For they gather to themselves all the nations, bring together to themselves all peoples. (Sheol h7585)

Yea, moreover, wine is treacherous.) He is a haughty man, who does not keep at home, who enlarges his desire as Sheol, and he is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathers to him all nations, and heaps to him all peoples. (Sheol h7585)

6 Shouldn’t everyone mock them? sing a taunt-song against them, and say: Woe to the person who amasses what is not theirs, and loads them self down with goods taken in pledge!

Shall not all these take up a derision against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him who increases that which is not his (how long?) and who loads himself with pledges!

7 Won’t your creditors suddenly rise, and those who will overthrow you awake, and you become their prey?

Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee. And thou shall be for booty to them?

8 For as you have plundered many peoples, the survivors will prey upon you. You have shed blood and committed violence to the earth, peoples and their cities.

Because thou have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder thee, because of men's blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell therein.

9 Woe to you who seeks unjust gain for your dynasty, who sets your nest on high to be safe from the reach of misfortune!

Woe to him who gets an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the hand of evil!

10 You have planned only shame for your dynasty. You have destroyed many peoples, and brought guilt upon yourself;

Thou have devised shame to thy house, by cutting off many peoples, and have sinned against thy soul.

11 the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the timber will answer it.

For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

12 Woe to the person who builds a city by bloodshed, and founds a town by crime

Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity!

13 while the peoples toil for what fires will consume, and the nations weary themselves for nothing! This the Lord of hosts has said,

Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

14 and the earth will be as full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the seas are full of water.

For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.

15 Woe to him who in fury gives drink to his neighbor to make him drunk, and see him naked.

Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink, who adds thy venom, and also makes him drunken, that thou may look on their nakedness!

16 You are filled with shame, not glory; drink yourself and be uncovered. The cup from the Lord’s hand will pass in turn to you, and shame will cover your glory!

Thou are filled with shame, and not glory. Drink thou also, and be as one uncircumcised. The cup of Jehovah's right hand shall come around to thee, and foul shame shall be upon thy glory.

17 For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, the destruction of animals will terrify you, because you shed people’s blood on the earth, destroyed people and their cities.

For the violence done to Lebanon shall cover thee and the plunder of the beasts (which made them afraid), because of men's blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell therein.

18 What use is an idol? A human made it, a metal image. It cannot speak, it cannot teach truth, Why does its maker trust it?

What profits the graven image, that the maker of it has engraved it, the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he who fashions its form trusts in it, to make dumb idols?

19 Woe to the person who says to a block, awake! to a dumb stone, arise! What can it teach? It may be set with gold and silver, but there is no breath at all within it.

Woe to him who says to the wood, Awake, to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

20 The Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!

But Jehovah is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him.