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 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 And Jehovah answered me and said, Write the vision, and engrave it upon tablets, that he may run that readeth 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 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.
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 within him: but the just shall live by his faith.
The strength of the proud fails, but the upright lives by their faithfulness.
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)
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 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!
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 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?
Won’t your creditors suddenly rise, and those who will overthrow you awake, and you become their prey?
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.
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 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 you who seeks unjust gain for your dynasty, who sets your nest on high to be safe from the reach of misfortune!
10 Thou hast devised shame to thy house, by cutting off many peoples, and hast sinned against thine own soul.
You have planned only shame for your dynasty. You have destroyed many peoples, and brought guilt upon yourself;
11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the timber will answer it.
12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by unrighteousness!
Woe to the person who builds a city by bloodshed, and founds a town by crime
13 Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labour for the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?
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 shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah 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 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 who in fury gives drink to his neighbor to make him drunk, and see him naked.
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.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Jehovah is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him!
The Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!
