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 doth speak against me, and what I do 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 Jehovah answereth me and saith: 'Write a vision, and explain on the tables, 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 breatheth for the end, and doth not lie, If it tarry, wait for it, For surely it cometh, it is not late.
4 The strength of the proud fails, but the upright lives by their faithfulness.
Lo, a presumptuous one! Not upright is his soul within him, And the righteous by his stedfastness liveth.
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 remaineth not at home, Who hath enlarged as sheol his soul, And is as death that is not satisfied, And doth gather unto itself all the nations, And doth assemble unto 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!
Do not these — all of them — against him a simile taken up, And a moral of acute sayings for him, And say, Woe [to] him who is multiplying [what is] not his? Till 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 not thy usurers instantly rise up, And those shaking thee awake up, And thou hast been for 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 thou hast spoiled many nations, Spoil thee do all the remnant of the peoples, 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 on high his nest, 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;
Thou hast counselled a shameful thing to thy house, To cut off many peoples, and sinful [is] thy soul.
11 the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the timber will answer it.
For a stone from the wall doth cry out, And a holdfast from the wood answereth 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,
Lo, is it not from Jehovah 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 full is the earth of the knowledge of the honour of Jehovah, As waters cover [the bottom of] 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 neighbour, Pouring out thy 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!
Thou hast been filled — shame without honour, Drink thou also, and be uncircumcised, Turn round unto thee doth the cup of the right hand of Jehovah, And shameful spewing [is] on thine honour.
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 [to] Lebanon doth cover thee, And spoil of beasts doth affright 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 hath a graven image given That its former hath graven it? A molten image and teacher of falsehood, That trusted hath the former on his own formation — 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 is saying to wood, 'Awake,' 'Stir up,' to a dumb stone, It a teacher! lo, 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 Jehovah [is] in His holy temple, Be silent before Him, all the earth!
