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.

On my charge I stand, and I station myself on a bulwark, and I watch to see what He doth speak against me, and what I do reply to my reproof.

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

And Jehovah answereth me and saith: 'Write a vision, and explain on the tables, That he may run who is reading 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.'

For yet the vision [is] for a season, And it breatheth for the end, and doth not lie, If it tarry, wait for it, For surely it cometh, it is not late.

4 Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith.

Lo, a presumptuous one! Not upright is his soul within him, And the righteous by his stedfastness liveth.

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)

And also, because the wine [is] treacherous, A man is haughty, and remaineth not at home, Who hath enlarged as sheol his soul, And is as death that is not satisfied, And doth gather unto itself all the nations, And doth assemble unto itself all the 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!'

Do not these — all of them — against him a simile taken up, And a moral of acute sayings for him, And say, Woe [to] him who is multiplying [what is] not his? Till when also is he multiplying to himself heavy pledges?

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?

Do not thy usurers instantly rise up, And those shaking thee awake up, And thou hast been for a spoil to them?

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.

Because thou hast spoiled many nations, Spoil thee do all the remnant of the peoples, Because of man's blood, and of violence [to] the land, [To] the city, and [to] all dwelling in it.

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] him who is gaining evil gain for his house, To set on high his nest, To be delivered from the hand of evil,

10 Thou hast devised shame to thy house, by cutting off many peoples, and hast forfeited thy life.

Thou hast counselled a shameful thing to thy house, To cut off many peoples, and sinful [is] thy soul.

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

For a stone from the wall doth cry out, And a holdfast from the wood answereth it.

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

Woe [to] him who is building a city by blood, And establishing a city by iniquity.

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

Lo, is it not from Jehovah of Hosts And peoples are fatigued for fire, And nations for vanity are weary?

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

For full is the earth of the knowledge of the honour of Jehovah, As waters cover [the bottom of] a sea.

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 is giving drink to his neighbour, Pouring out thy bottle, and also making drunk, In order to look on their nakedness.

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.

Thou hast been filled — shame without honour, Drink thou also, and be uncircumcised, Turn round unto thee doth the cup of the right hand of Jehovah, And shameful spewing [is] on thine honour.

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 violence [to] Lebanon doth cover thee, And spoil of beasts doth affright them, Because of man's blood, and of violence [to] the land, [To] the city, and [to] all dwelling in it.

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 profit hath a graven image given That its former hath graven it? A molten image and teacher of falsehood, That trusted hath the former on his own formation — to make dumb idols?

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] him who is saying to wood, 'Awake,' 'Stir up,' to a dumb stone, It a teacher! lo, it is overlaid — gold and silver, And there is no spirit in its midst.

20 But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him.

And Jehovah [is] in His holy temple, Be silent before Him, all the earth!