Habakkuk 2

1 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.

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 And Jehovah answereth me and saith: 'Write a vision, and explain on the tables, That he may run who is reading 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 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.

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, a presumptuous one! Not upright is his soul within him, And the righteous by his stedfastness liveth.

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

5 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)

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 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?

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 Do not thy usurers instantly rise up, And those shaking thee awake up, And thou hast been for a spoil to 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 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.

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 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,

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 counselled a shameful thing to thy house, To cut off many peoples, and sinful [is] thy soul.

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

11 For a stone from the wall doth cry out, And a holdfast from the wood answereth it.

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

12 Woe [to] him who is building a city by blood, And establishing a city by iniquity.

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

13 Lo, is it not from Jehovah of Hosts And peoples are fatigued for fire, And nations for vanity are weary?

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

14 For full is the earth of the knowledge of the honour of Jehovah, As waters cover [the bottom of] a sea.

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

15 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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?

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 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.

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 And Jehovah [is] in His holy temple, Be silent before Him, all the earth!

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