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.

On my charge I stand, and I station myself on a bulwark, and I watch to see what He speaks against me, and what I reply to my reproof.

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

And YHWH answers me and says: “Write a vision, and explain on the tablets, That he may run who is reading 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 yet the vision [is] for a season, And it breathes for the end, and does not lie, If it lingers, wait for it, For surely it comes, it is not late.

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

Behold, a presumptuous one! His soul is not upright within him, And the righteous lives 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)

And also, because the wine [is] treacherous, A man is haughty, and does not remain at home, Who has enlarged his soul as Sheol, And is as death that is not satisfied, And gathers to itself all the nations, And assembles to itself 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!

Are these not—all of them—an allegory taken up against him, And a moral of acute sayings for him, And say, Woe [to] him who is multiplying [what is] not his? Until when also is he multiplying to himself heavy pledges?

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

Do your usurers not instantly rise up, And those shaking you awake, And you have been a spoil 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 remnant of the peoples spoil you, Because of man’s blood, and of violence [to] the land, [To] the city, and [to] all dwelling 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 who is gaining evil gain for his house, To set his nest on high, To 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;

You have counseled a shameful thing to your house, To cut off many peoples, and your soul [is] sinful.

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

For a stone cries out from the wall, And a beam from the wood answers it.

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

Woe [to] him who is building a city by blood, And establishing 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 from YHWH of Hosts And peoples are fatigued for fire, And nations for vanity are weary?

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 is full of the knowledge of the glory of YHWH, As the waters cover over a 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 is giving drink to his neighbor, Pouring out your bottle, and also making drunk, In order to 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!

You have been filled—shame without honor, Drink also, and be uncircumcised, Turn around to you does the cup of the right hand of YHWH, And shameful spewing [is] on 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 violence [done to] Lebanon covers you, And spoil of beasts frightens them, Because of man’s blood, and of violence [to] the land, [To] the city, and [to] all dwelling 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 has a carved image given That its former has hewn it? A molten image and teacher of falsehood, That the former has trusted on his own formation—to make mute 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 is saying to wood, Awake, To a mute stone, Stir up, It [is] a teacher! Behold, it is overlaid—gold and silver, And there is no spirit in its midst.

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

And YHWH [is] in His holy temple, Be silent before Him, all the earth!”