Habakkuk 2

1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will look forth to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer as 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 answered me and said, Write the vision, and engrave it upon tablets, that he may run that readeth 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 the vision is yet for an appointed time, but it hasteth to the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; for it will surely come, it will not delay.

For the vision [is] yet for a time, and it shall shoot forth at the end, and not in vain: though he should wait, wait for him; for he will surely come, and will not wait.

4 Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright within him: but the just shall live by his faith.

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

5 And moreover, the wine is treacherous: he is a proud man, and keepeth not at rest, he enlargeth his desire as Sheol, and he is like death and cannot be satisfied; and he assembleth unto him all nations, and gathereth unto him all 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 Shall not all these take up a proverb about him, and a taunting riddle against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? — and to him that loadeth himself with 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 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and they awake up that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?

For suddenly there shall arise up those that bite him, and they that plot against you shall awake, and you shall be a plunder to them.

8 Because thou hast plundered many nations, all the rest of the peoples shall plunder thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence [done] to the land, to the city, and all that dwell therein.

Because you have spoiled many nations, all the nations that are left shall spoil [you], 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 that getteth iniquitous gain to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the grasp 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 devised shame to thy house, by cutting off many peoples, and hast sinned against thine own soul.

You have devised shame to your house, you have utterly destroyed many nations, and your soul has sinned.

11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

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

12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by unrighteousness!

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

13 Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labour for the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?

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

14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah as the waters cover the sea.

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

15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, — that pourest out thy flask, and makest [him] drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

Woe to him that gives his neighbor to drink the thick lees [of wine], and intoxicates [him], that he may look upon their secret parts.

16 Thou art filled with shame instead of glory; drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of Jehovah's right hand shall be turned unto thee, and a shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.

Drink you also [your] fill of disgrace instead of glory: shake, O heart, and quake, the cup of the right hand of the Lord has come round upon you, and dishonor has gathered upon your glory.

17 For the violence [done] to Lebanon shall cover thee, and the destruction of beasts which made them afraid; because of men's blood, and for the violence [done] to the land, to the city, and all that dwell therein.

For the ungodliness of Libanus shall cover you, and distress because of wild beasts shall dismay you, because of the blood of men, and the sins of the land and city, and of all that dwell in it.

18 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it? the molten image, and the teacher of falsehood, that the maker of his work dependeth thereon, 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 unto him that saith to the wood, Awake! to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall it teach? Behold it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

Woe to him that says to the wood, Awake, arise; and to the stone, Be you exalted! whereas it is an image, and this is a casting of gold and silver, and there is no breath in it.

20 But Jehovah is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him!

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