Habakkuk 2

1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will look out to see what He will speak by me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

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 the LORD answered me, and said: 'Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that a man may read it swiftly.

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 the appointed time, and it declareth of the end, and doth not lie; though it tarry, wait for it; because 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 in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith.

The strength of the proud fails, but the upright lives by their faithfulness.

5 Yea, moreover, wine is a treacherous dealer; the haughty man abideth not; he who enlargeth his desire as the nether-world, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth 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 parable against him, and a taunting riddle against him, and say: 'Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and that ladeth himself with many 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 exact interest of thee, and awake that shall violently shake 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 spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall spoil thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to 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 gaineth evil gains for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power 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 forfeited thy life.

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 iniquity!

Woe to the person who builds a city by bloodshed, and founds a town by crime

13 Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the peoples labour for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

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 the LORD, 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 puttest thy venom thereto, 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 be uncovered; the cup of the LORD'S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and filthiness shall be upon 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 the beasts, which made them afraid; because of men's blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to 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, even the molten image, and the teacher of lies; that the maker of his work trusteth therein, 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!' Can this 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 the LORD 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!