Habakkuk 2

1 I will climb my watchtower; I will take my place on the city wall. I will keep watch and see what he will say to me, how he will answer my grievances.

I will stand firm during my watch, and fix my position over the fortification. And I will observe carefully, to see what might be said to me and what I might respond to my opponent.

2 Then the Lord told me, Write down the vision, inscribe it on tablets, so it can be easily read.

And the Lord responded to me and said: Write the vision and explain it on tablets, so that he who reads it may run through it.

3 For the vision is for a future time, it is about the end and it does not lie. If it seems slow in being fulfilled, wait for it, for it will definitely come—it will not be delayed!

For as yet the vision is far off, and it will appear in the end, and it will not lie. If it expresses any delay, wait for it. For it is arriving and it will arrive, and it will not be hindered.

4 Look at those who are proud! They do not live right. But those who live right do so through their trust in God.

Behold, he who is unbelieving, his soul will not be right within himself; but he who is just shall live in his faith.

5 In addition wealth provides no security. Those who are arrogant never have any peace; their greedy mouths are as wide open as the grave, and like death they are never satisfied. They gather nations like possessions, swallowing up many peoples. (Sheol h7585)

And in the manner that wine deceives the heavy drinker, so will the arrogant man be deceived, and he will not be honored. He has enlarged his life like hellfire, and himself like death, and he is never fulfilled. And he will gather to himself all nations, and he will amass for himself all peoples. (Sheol h7585)

6 Won't all these peoples taunt them? They will ridicule them, saying, “What disaster is coming to you who pile up things that don't belong to you! You make yourselves rich by forcing debtors to pay! How long can you go on doing this?”

Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and an enigmatic utterance about him? And it will be said, “Woe to him who increases what is not his own.” How long, then, will he lay down dense clay against himself?

7 Won't your debtors suddenly act? Won't they wake up to the situation and make you tremble? You will be plunder for them!

Shall they not suddenly rise up, who would bite you, and be stirred up, who would tear you, so that you will be a prey for them?

8 Because you have plundered many nations, those who are left will plunder you—for the human blood you have shed and the destruction you brought on lands and cities, and those who lived there.

Because you have despoiled many peoples, all those who are left of the people shall despoil you, because of the blood of men, and the iniquity of the earth, of the city and all who dwell therein.

9 What disaster is coming to you who build houses through dishonest gain! You think you can place your “nest” so high it will be safe from disaster.

Woe to him who gathers together an evil greed for his house, so that his nest may be exalted, and thinking that he might free himself from the hand of evil.

10 Your evil schemes have brought shame upon your families, by destroying many nations you have forfeited your own lives.

You have devised confusion for your house, you have cut to pieces many peoples, and your soul has sinned.

11 Even the stones in the wall cry out in condemnation, and the wooden rafters join in too.

For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the wood that is between the joints of the building will respond.

12 What disaster is coming to you who build cities with bloodshed, who found cities built on wickedness!

Woe to him who builds a town with blood and prepares a city by iniquity.

13 Hasn't the Lord Almighty decided that all such nations work for will be destroyed by fire, that they wear themselves out for nothing?

Are not these things before the Lord of hosts? For the people will labor amid a great fire, and the nations will labor in emptiness, and they will fail.

14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord's glory as the waters fill the sea.

For the earth shall be filled, that they might know the glory of the Lord, like the waters spreading over the sea.

15 What disaster is coming to you who make your neighbors drunk! You force your cup of anger on them and make them drink so you may see them naked.

Woe to anyone who gives a drink to a friend, releasing a drug and inebriating, so as to look upon their nakedness.

16 In turn you will be filled with shame instead of glory. Drink yourself and expose your nakedness! The cup the Lord holds in his right hand will be passed round to you and your glory will turn to shame.

You are filled with disgrace in place of glory. So then, drink and fall fast asleep, for the cup of the right hand of the Lord will surround you, and a disgraceful vomit will cover your glory.

17 As you destroyed the forests of Lebanon you will also be destroyed; you hunted the animals there, and now they will hunt you. For you shed human blood and you destroyed lands and cities, along with those who lived there.

For the iniquity of Lebanon will cover you, and the devastation of animals which will deter them from the blood of men, and the iniquity of the earth and the city, and of all who dwell therein.

18 What use is a wooden idol carved by human hands, or a metal image that teaches lies? What is the point of their makers trusting in their own handiwork, creating idols that can't speak?

Of what benefit is the graven image? For its maker has formed it, a molten and imaginary deception. For its maker has hoped in a figment of his own creation, so as to make a dumb likeness.

19 What disaster is coming to you who say to something made of wood, “Wake up!” or to lifeless stone, “Get up!” Can it teach you anything? Look at it! It's covered with gold and silver, but there is no life inside it.

Woe to him who says to wood, “Awaken,” to the silent stone, “Arise.” Is it able to teach? Behold, it has been entirely covered with gold and silver; and there is no spirit at all in its inner workings.

20 But the Lord is in his holy Temple; let all the earth be silent in his presence.

But the Lord is in his holy temple. May all the earth be silent before his face.