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 mount upon the rock, and watch to see what he will say by me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 Then the Lord answered me and said: Inscribe the vision plainly on tablets, so that even someone running by could read it.
And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision, and [that] plainly on a tablet, that he that reads it may run.
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 a time, and it shall shoot forth at the end, and not in vain: though he should wait, wait for him; for he will surely come, and will not wait.
4 The strength of the proud fails, but the upright lives by their faithfulness.
If he should draw back, my soul has no pleasure in him: but the just shall live by my 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)
But the arrogant man and the scorner, the boastful man, shall not finish anything; who has enlarged his desire as the grave, and like death he is never satisfied, and he will gather to himself all the nations, and will receive to himself all the 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 parable against him? and a proverb to tell against him? and they shall say, Woe to him that multiplies to himself the possessions which are not his! how long? and who heavily loads his yoke.
7 Won’t your creditors suddenly rise, and those who will overthrow you awake, and you become their prey?
For suddenly there shall arise up those that bite him, and they that plot against you shall awake, and you shall be a plunder 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 you have spoiled many nations, all the nations that are left shall spoil [you], because of the blood of men, and the sins of the land and city, and of all that dwell in it.
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 that covets an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evils.
10 You have planned only shame for your dynasty. You have destroyed many peoples, and brought guilt upon yourself;
You have devised shame to your house, you have utterly destroyed many nations, and your soul has sinned.
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 beetle out of the timber shall speak.
12 Woe to the person who builds a city by bloodshed, and founds a town by crime
Woe to him that builds a city with blood, and establishes a city by unrighteousness.
13 while the peoples toil for what fires will consume, and the nations weary themselves for nothing! This the Lord of hosts has said,
Are not these things of the Lord Almighty? surely many people have been exhausted in the fire, and many nations have fainted.
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 the Lord; it shall cover them as water.
15 Woe to him who in fury gives drink to his neighbor to make him drunk, and see him naked.
Woe to him that gives his neighbour to drink the thick lees [of wine], and intoxicates [him], that he may look upon their secret parts.
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!
Drink you also [your] fill of disgrace instead of glory: shake, O heart, and quake, the cup of the right hand of the Lord has come round upon you, and dishonour has gathered upon your 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 ungodliness of Libanus shall cover you, and distress because of wild beasts shall dismay you, because of the blood of men, and the sins of the land and city, and of all that dwell in it.
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 profit it the graven image, that they have graven it? [one] has made it a molten work, a false image; for the maker has trusted in his work, 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 that says to the wood, Awake, arise; and to the stone, Be you exalted! whereas it is an image, and this is a casting of gold and silver, and there is no breath in it.
20 The Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!
But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth fear before him.
