Habakkuk 2

1 I will stand at my watch and set myself on the ramparts, and will look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

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.

2 The LORD answered me, “Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he who runs may read it.

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

3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hurries towards the end, and won’t prove false. Though it takes time, wait for it, because it will surely come. It won’t delay.

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.

4 Behold, his soul is puffed up. It is not upright in him, but the righteous will live by his faith.

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

5 Yes, moreover, wine is treacherous: an arrogant man who doesn’t stay at home, who enlarges his desire as Sheol; he is like death and can’t be satisfied, but gathers to himself all nations and heaps to himself all peoples. (Sheol h7585)

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)

6 Won’t all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases that which is not his, and who enriches himself by extortion! How long?’

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!

7 Won’t your debtors rise up suddenly, and wake up those who make you tremble, and you will be their victim?

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

8 Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples will plunder you because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell in it.

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.

9 Woe to him who gets an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the hand of evil!

Woe to you who seeks unjust gain for your dynasty, who sets your nest on high to be safe from the reach of misfortune!

10 You have devised shame to your house by cutting off many peoples, and have sinned against your soul.

You have planned only shame for your dynasty. You have destroyed many peoples, and brought guilt upon yourself;

11 For the stone will cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the woodwork will answer it.

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

12 Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity!

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

13 Behold, isn’t it from the LORD of Armies that the peoples labour for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

while the peoples toil for what fires will consume, and the nations weary themselves for nothing! This the Lord of hosts has said,

14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD’s glory, as the waters cover the sea.

and the earth will be as full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the seas are full of water.

15 “Woe to him who gives his neighbour drink, pouring your inflaming wine until they are drunk, so that you may gaze at their naked bodies!

Woe to him who in fury gives drink to his neighbor to make him drunk, and see him naked.

16 You are filled with shame, and not glory. You will also drink and be exposed! The cup of the LORD’s right hand will come around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.

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!

17 For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction of the animals will terrify you, because of men’s blood and for the violence done to the land, to every city and to those who dwell in them.

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.

18 “What value does the engraved image have, that its maker has engraved it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he who fashions its form trusts in it, to make mute idols?

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?

19 Woe to him who says to the wood, ‘Awake!’ or to the mute stone, ‘Arise!’ Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all within it.

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.

20 But the LORD is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!”

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