Habakkuk 2

1 Upon my watch-tower, will I stand, and will station myself upon the bulwark, —so will I keep outlook, to see—what he will speak with me, and what I shall reply, when I am reproved.

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 Yahweh answered me, and said, Write the vision, Yea, make it plain on tablets, that one may swiftly 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 For yet is the vision for an appointed time, still, it presseth towards an end, and will not deceive, —if it tarry, wait thou for it, for it, surely cometh, —will not be too late.

For the vision [is] yet for a time, and it shall shoot forth at the end, and not in vain: though he should tarry, wait for him; for he will surely come, and will not tarry.

4 Lo! as for the conceited one, crooked is his soul within him, - but, one who is righteous, by his faithfulness, shall live.

If he should draw back, my soul has no pleasure in him: but the just shall live by my faith.

5 Moreover also, when wine betrayeth, a man, is arrogant, and findeth no rest, —because he hath enlarged, like hades, his desire, yea, he, is like death, and cannot be satisfied, —but hath gathered unto himself, all the nations, and assembled unto himself, all the 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 Shall not, these, all of them, against him, take up—a taunt, a mocking poem, enigmatical sentences—concerning him? And say—Alas! for him who maketh abundance in what is not his own, How long? that he should be burdening himself with heavy debts?

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 Will not thy creditors, suddenly rise up? and they who shall violently shake thee, all at once become active? Then shalt thou serve for booties, unto them!

For suddenly there shall arise up those that bite him, and they that plot against thee shall awake, and thou shalt be a plunder to them.

8 Because, thou, hast plundered many nations, all the residue of the peoples, shall plunder thee, —for shedding Human blood, and doing violence to the earth, to the city, and to all who dwell therein.

Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the nations that are left shall spoil [thee], because of the blood of men, and the sins of the land and city, and of all that dwell in it.

9 Alas! for him who extorteth an extortion of wrong for his own house, —that he may set on high his nest, that he may be delivered from the grasp of calamity.

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 Thou hast counseled shame to thy house—making an end of many peoples, and endangering thine own life.

Thou hast devised shame to thy house, thou hast utterly destroyed many nations, and thy soul has sinned.

11 Surely, the stone out of the wall, will make outcry, —and, the tie out of the timber, will answer it.

For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beetle out of the timber shall speak.

12 Alas! for him who buildeth a city with deeds of blood, —and establisheth a town with perversity.

Woe to him that builds a city with blood, and establishes a city by unrighteousness.

13 Lo! is it not from Yahweh of hosts—that peoples labour for fire, and, populations, for emptiness, weary themselves?

Are not these things of the Lord Almighty? surely many people have been exhausted in the fire, and many nations have fainted.

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

For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord; it shall cover them as water.

15 Alas! for him who causeth his neighbour to drink, from the goblet of thy fury, and also, making him drunk, —to the end thou mayest gloat over their parts of shame.

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 Thou art sated with contempt, more than glory, drink, thou too, and expose thy person, —the cup of the right hand of Yahweh, shall come round unto thee, and ignominious filth be upon thy glory;

Drink thou also [thy] fill of disgrace instead of glory: shake, O heart, and quake, the cup of the right hand of the Lord has come round upon thee, and dishonour has gathered upon thy glory.

17 For, the violence [done] to Lebanon, shall cover thee, and wasting by wild beasts shall cause them terror, —for shedding Human blood, and doing violence to the earth, to the city, and to all who dwell therein.

For the ungodliness of Libanus shall cover thee, and distress because of wild beasts shall dismay thee, because of the blood of men, and the sins of the land and city, and of all that dwell in it.

18 What hath a carved image, profited, though the fashioner thereof, carved it? a molten image, and a teacher of falsehood, —though the fashioner of his fashioned thing trusted therein? that men should make Dumb Nonentities!

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 Alas! for him who saith to wood, Awake, bestir thee! to a silent stone, he, shall teach! Though he is overlaid with gold and silver, yet, no spirit whatsoever, is in him!

Woe to him that says to the wood, Awake, arise; and to the stone, Be thou exalted! whereas it is an image, and this is a casting of gold and silver, and there is no breath in it.

20 Howbeit, Yahweh, is in his holy temple, —Hush before him, all the earth.

But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth fear before him.