Habakkuk 2

1 [After I said that, I said to myself, ] “I will climb up into my watchtower, and stand there at my guard post. I will wait there to find out what Yahweh will say, what he will reply to what I have complained about.”

I will climb my watchtower; I will take my place on the city wall. I will keep watch and see what he will say to me, how he will answer my grievances.

2 Then Yahweh replied to me, “Write plainly on tablets [what I am revealing to you in] this vision, [and then read it to a messenger] in order that he can run with it [to tell it to] other people.

Then the Lord told me, Write down the vision, inscribe it on tablets, so it can be easily read.

3 In this vision [I will be talking about things that will happen] in the future. Now is not the time when those things will happen, but they certainly will happen, and when they occur, they will occur quickly, and they will not be delayed. Now you [want those things to happen immediately, but] they are not happening. But wait patiently for them [to happen]!

For the vision is for a future time, it is about the end and it does not lie. If it seems slow in being fulfilled, wait for it, for it will definitely come—it will not be delayed!

4 Think about the proud [people of Babylonia]! They are certainly not doing what is righteous. But people who are righteous will live because they faithfully [do what I want them to do].

Look at those who are proud! They do not live right. But those who live right do so through their trust in God.

5 If people [trust in their wealth], they will deceive themselves, and proud people are never able to rest. [It is as though] the greedy people [of Babylonia open their mouths] as wide as the place where dead people are, and they never have enough, like [the place where] dead people go never has enough dead people [PRS]. The [armies of Babylonia] conquer many nations for themselves, and capture all their people. (Sheol h7585)

In addition wealth provides no security. Those who are arrogant never have any peace; their greedy mouths are as wide open as the grave, and like death they are never satisfied. They gather nations like possessions, swallowing up many peoples. (Sheol h7585)

6 But [soon] all those [whom they have captured] will ridicule [the soldiers from Babylonia]! They will make fun of them, saying, ‘Terrible things will happen to you who have stolen things [from other countries]! You got many things by forcing people to give them to you. [But you certainly will not keep those things] for a long time [RHQ]!’

Won't all these peoples taunt them? They will ridicule them, saying, “What disaster is coming to you who pile up things that don't belong to you! You make yourselves rich by forcing debtors to pay! How long can you go on doing this?”

7 Suddenly those whom you (oppressed/treated cruelly) will cause you to tremble, and they will take away all the things that you have stolen from them.

Won't your debtors suddenly act? Won't they wake up to the situation and make you tremble? You will be plunder for them!

8 You stole things from the people of many nations. You murdered [MTY] people of many people-groups, and you destroyed their land and their cities. So those who are still alive will steal valuable things from you.

Because you have plundered many nations, those who are left will plunder you—for the human blood you have shed and the destruction you brought on lands and cities, and those who lived there.

9 Terrible things will happen to you [people of Babylonia] who build big houses with money that you got by forcing others to give it to you. You are proud and you think that your houses will be safe because you have built them in places where you can easily defend them.

What disaster is coming to you who build houses through dishonest gain! You think you can place your “nest” so high it will be safe from disaster.

10 But because you have destroyed others, you have caused your family [MTY] to be shamed/disgraced, and you yourselves will be killed.

Your evil schemes have brought shame upon your families, by destroying many nations you have forfeited your own lives.

11 [It is as though] the stones in the walls [of your houses] cry out to accuse you, and [it is as though] the beams [in your ceilings] also say the same things.

Even the stones in the wall cry out in condemnation, and the wooden rafters join in too.

12 Terrible things will happen to you [people of Babylonia] who kill people [MTY] in order to build cities, cities that you build by using money that you have gotten by committing crimes.

What disaster is coming to you who build cities with bloodshed, who found cities built on wickedness!

13 But the Commander of the armies of angels has [RHQ] declared that everything that is built by people who do things like that [will be destroyed by] fire; they will have worked hard uselessly.

Hasn't the Lord Almighty decided that all such nations work for will be destroyed by fire, that they wear themselves out for nothing?

14 But [in contrast], like [SIM] the oceans are filled with water, the earth will be filled with [people who] know that Yahweh is very great.

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord's glory as the waters fill the sea.

15 Terrible things will happen to you [people of Babylonia] who cause people who live in nearby countries to become drunk. You force them to drink a lot of wine from wineskins [until they are drunk and then they walk around] naked, in order that you can see that.

What disaster is coming to you who make your neighbors drunk! You force your cup of anger on them and make them drink so you may see them naked.

16 But you are the ones who [soon] will be disgraced instead of being honored. [It will be as though you are forced to] drink [a lot of wine] in order that you will also stagger [around, drunk]. You will drink the wine [that symbolizes that Yahweh will punish you], and he will cause you to be disgraced instead of being greatly respected [any more].

In turn you will be filled with shame instead of glory. Drink yourself and expose your nakedness! The cup the Lord holds in his right hand will be passed round to you and your glory will turn to shame.

17 You did violent [PRS] things to [the people in] Lebanon, and you killed the wild animals [there], but you will be punished severely for doing that. You have killed [MTY] many people and you have destroyed their lands and their cities.

As you destroyed the forests of Lebanon you will also be destroyed; you hunted the animals there, and now they will hunt you. For you shed human blood and you destroyed lands and cities, along with those who lived there.

18 [You people of Babylonia need to know that your] idols are completely [RHQ] useless, because it is people who made them. Statues that have been carved or made in a mold deceive you. Those who trust in idols are trusting in things that they themselves created, things that cannot speak!

What use is a wooden idol carved by human hands, or a metal image that teaches lies? What is the point of their makers trusting in their own handiwork, creating idols that can't speak?

19 Terrible things will happen to you who say to lifeless idols that are made of wood, ‘Wake up!’ Idols certainly cannot [RHQ] tell you what you should do; they [look nice/beautiful because] they are covered with silver and gold, but they are not alive.

What disaster is coming to you who say to something made of wood, “Wake up!” or to lifeless stone, “Get up!” Can it teach you anything? Look at it! It's covered with gold and silver, but there is no life inside it.

20 But Yahweh is in his holy temple; everyone on the earth should be silent in his presence.”

But the Lord is in his holy Temple; let all the earth be silent in his presence.