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 stand upon my watch, and fix my foot upon the tower: and I will watch, to see what will be said to me, and what I may answer to him that reproveth me.

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

And the Lord answered me, and said: Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables: that he that readeth it may run over it.

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

For as yet the vision is far off, and it shall appear at the end, and shall not lie: if it make any delay, wait for it: for it shall surely come, and it shall not be slack.

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

Behold, he that is unbelieving, his soul shall not be right in himself: but the just shall live in his faith.

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

And as wine deceiveth him that drinketh it: so shall the proud man be, and he shall not be honoured: who hath enlarged his desire like hell: and is himself like death, and he is never satisfied: but will gather together unto him all nations, and heap together unto him all people. (Sheol h7585)

6 Will not 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?’

Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a dark speech concerning him: and it shall be said: Woe to him that heapeth together that which is not his own? how long also doth he load himself with thick clay?

7 Will not your debtors rise up suddenly, and wake up those who make you tremble, and you will be their victim?

Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee: and they be stirred up that shall tear thee, and thou shalt be a spoil to them?

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.

Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all that shall be left of the people shall spoil thee: because of men’s blood, and for the iniquity of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

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 him that gathereth together an evil covetousness to his house, that his nest may be on high, and thinketh he may be delivered out of the hand of evil.

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

Thou hast devised confusion to thy house, thou hast cut off many people, and thy soul hath sinned.

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

For the stone shall cry out of the wall: and the timber that is between the joints of the building, shall answer.

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

Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and prepareth a city by iniquity.

13 Behold, is not it from the LORD of Armies that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

Are not these things from the Lord of hosts? for the people shall labour in a great fire: and the nations in vain, and they shall faint.

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

For the earth shall be filled, that men may know the glory of the Lord, as waters covering the sea.

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

Woe to him that giveth drink to his friend, and presenteth his gall, and maketh him drunk, that he may behold his nakedness.

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.

Thou art filled with shame instead of glory: drink thou also, and fall fast asleep: the cup of the right hand of the Lord shall compass thee, and shameful vomiting shall be on thy 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 iniquity of Libanus shall cover thee, and the ravaging of beasts shall terrify them because of the blood of men, and the iniquity of the land, and of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

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 doth the graven thing avail, because the maker thereof hath graven it, a molten, and a false image? because the forger thereof hath trusted in a thing of his own forging, to make dumb idols.

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 him that saith to wood: Awake: to the dumb stone: Arise: can it teach? Behold, it is laid over with gold, and silver, and there is no spirit in the bowels thereof.

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

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