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 set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto 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 make it plain upon tables, that he may run that reads it.

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 an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

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

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his 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)

Yea also, because he trangresses by wine, he is a proud man, neither keeps at home, who enlarges his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathers unto him all nations, and heaps unto him all people: (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 taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increases that which is not his! how long? and to him that loads himself with thick clay!

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

Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite you, and awake that shall vex you, and you shall be for booties unto 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 you have spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil you; because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

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 covers an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!

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

You have consulted shame to your house by cutting off many people, and have sinned against your soul.

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 beam out of the timber shall answer it.

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

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

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

Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?

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, as the waters cover the sea.

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 unto him that gives his neighbour drink, that put your bottle to him, and make him drunken also, that you may look on their nakedness!

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.

You are filled with shame for glory: drink you also, and let your foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD's right hand shall be turned unto you, and shameful spewing shall be on your 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 violence of Lebanon shall cover you, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

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 profits the graven image that the maker thereof has graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusts therein, 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 unto him that says to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of 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 keep silence before him.