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

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 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 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 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 that is unbelieving, his soul shall not be right in himself: but the 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 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 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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 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 Your evil schemes have brought shame upon your families, by destroying many nations you have forfeited your own lives.

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

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

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

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

Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and prepareth 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 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 fill the sea.

For the earth shall be filled, that men may know the glory of the Lord, as waters covering 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 him that giveth drink to his friend, and presenteth his gall, and maketh him drunk, that he may behold his 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.

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 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 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 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?

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 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 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 in his presence.

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