Habakkuk 2

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.

On my kepyng Y schal stonde, and schal pitche a grees on wardyng; and Y schal biholde, that Y se what thing schal be seid to me, and what Y schal answere to hym that repreuith me.

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.

And the Lord answeride to me, and seide, Write thou the reuelacioun, and make it pleyn on tablis, that he renne, that schal rede it.

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.

For yit the visioun is fer, and it schal appere in to ende, and schal not lie; if it schal make dwellyng, abide thou it, for it comynge schal come, and schal not tarie.

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.

Lo! the soule of hym, that is vnbileueful, schal not be riytful in hym silf; forsothe the iust man schal lyue in his feith.

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. (Sheol h7585)

And as wyn disseyueth a man drynkynge, so schal the proude man be, and he schal not be maad feir; for as helle he alargide his soule, and he is as deth, and he is not fillid; and he schal gadere to hym alle folkis, and he shal kepe togidere to hym alle puplis. (Sheol h7585)

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!

Whether not alle these puplis schulen take a parable on hym, and the speking of derk sentencis of hym? And it schal be seid, Wo to hym that multiplieth thingis not his owne; hou longe, and he aggreggith ayens hym silf thicke clei?

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?

Whether not sudeynli thei schulen rise to gidere, that schulen bite thee? And thei schulen be reisid to-teerynge thee, and thou schalt be in to raueyn to hem; and thin aspieris in yuel schulen wake.

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.

For thou robbidist many folkis, alle schulen robbe thee, whiche schulen be left of puplis, for blood of man, and for wickidnesse of lond of the citee, and of alle men dwellynge 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!

Wo to hym that gaderith yuel coueitise to his hous, that his nest be in hiy, and gessith hym for to be delyuered of the hond of yuel.

10 You have been a cause of shame to your house by cutting off a number of peoples, and sinning against your soul.

Thou thouytist confusioun to thin hous; thou hast slayn many puplis, and thi soule synnede.

11 For the stone will give a cry out of the wall, and it will be answered by the board out of the woodwork.

For a stoon of the wal schal crie, and a tree that is bitwixe ioynturis of bildyngis schal answere.

12 A curse on him who is building a place with blood, and basing a town on evil-doing!

Wo to hym that bildith a citee in bloodis, and makith redi a citee in wickidnesse.

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?

Whether not these thingis ben of the Lord of oostis? For puplis schulen trauele in myche fier, and folkis in veyn, and thei schulen faile.

14 For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the sea is covered by the waters.

For the erthe schal be fillid, that it knowe the glorie of the Lord, as watris hilynge the see.

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!

Wo to hym that yyueth drynk to his frend, and sendith his galle, and makith drunkun, that he biholde his nakidnesse.

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.

He is fillid with yuel fame for glorie; and thou drynke, and be aslept; the cuppe of the riythalf of the Lord schal cumpasse thee, and `castynge vp of yuel fame on thi glorie.

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.

For the wickidnesse of Liban schal kyuere thee, and distruccioun of beestis schal make hem aferd, of bloodis of man, and of wickidnesse of lond, and of the citee, and of alle men dwellynge ther ynne.

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?

What profitith the `grauun ymage, for his makere grauyde it, a wellid thing togidere and fals ymage? for the makere therof hopide in makyng, that he made doumbe symylacris.

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.

Wo to hym that seith to a tre, Wake thou; Rise thou, to a stoon beynge stille; whether he schal mow teche? Lo! this is kyuerid with gold and siluer, and no spirit is in his entrails.

20 But the Lord is in his holy Temple: let all the earth be quiet before him.

Forsothe the Lord is in his hooli temple, al erthe be stille fro his face.