Habakkuk 2

1 Upon my watch will I stand, and place myself upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will speak with me, and what I shall answer to my reproof.

I will stand upon my watch, and mount upon the rock, and watch to see what he will say by me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write down the vision, and make it plain upon the tables, that everyone may read it fluently.

And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision, and [that] plainly on a tablet, that he that reads it may run.

3 For there is yet a vision for the appointed time, and it speaketh of the end, and it will not deceive: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not be delayed.

For the vision [is] yet for a time, and it shall shoot forth at the end, and not in vain: though he should tarry, wait for him; for he will surely come, and will not tarry.

4 Behold, disturbed, not at rest is the soul of [the wicked] in him; but the righteous ever liveth in his [trustful] faith.

If he should draw back, my soul has no pleasure in him: but the just shall live by my faith.

5 And though the wine-[drunken] traitor, the proud man, whose house will not stand, who enlargeth his desire as the grave, and is like death, which cannot be satisfied, —though he gather unto him all the nations, and assemble unto him all the people: (Sheol h7585)

But the arrogant man and the scorner, the boastful man, shall not finish anything; who has enlarged his desire as the grave, and like death he is never satisfied, and he will gather to himself all the nations, and will receive to himself all the peoples. (Sheol h7585)

6 Will not all these take up a parable against him, and a proverb and a satire concerning him? and they will say, Woe to him that increaseth what is not his! for how long? and to him that loadeth himself with a burden of guilt!

Shall not all these take up a parable against him? and a proverb to tell against him? and they shall say, Woe to him that multiplies to himself the possessions which are not his! how long? and who heavily loads his yoke.

7 Behold, suddenly will rise up those that afflict thee, and awake those that plague thee, and thou shalt become a booty unto them.

For suddenly there shall arise up those that bite him, and they that plot against thee shall awake, and thou shalt be a plunder to them.

8 Because thou hast despoiled many nations will all the remnant of the people despoil thee; because of the blood of men, and the violence against the land, the town, and all that dwell therein.

Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the nations that are left shall spoil [thee], because of the blood of men, and the sins of the land and city, and of all that dwell in it.

9 Woe to him that obtaineth an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the grasp of the wicked!

Woe to him that covets an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evils.

10 Thou hast counselled shame to thy house, by cutting off many people, and sinning [against] thy soul.

Thou hast devised shame to thy house, thou hast utterly destroyed many nations, and thy soul has sinned.

11 For the stone will cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the wood [-work] will answer it.

For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beetle out of the timber shall speak.

12 Woe to him that buildeth a city with blood-guiltiness, and layeth the foundation of a town by wrong-doing.

Woe to him that builds a city with blood, and establishes a city by unrighteousness.

13 Behold, is it not from the Lord of hosts that people shall labor for the very fire, and nations shall weary themselves for naught but vanity!

Are not these things of the Lord Almighty? surely many people have been exhausted in the fire, and many nations have fainted.

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

For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord; it shall cover them as water.

15 Woe unto him that maketh his neighbors drink, [to thee] that pourest out thy poisonous [wine], and makest them also drunken, in order to look on their nakedness!

Woe to him that gives his neighbour to drink the thick lees [of wine], and intoxicates [him], that he may look upon their secret parts.

16 Thou art filled with shame instead of glory; drink thou also, and let thy nakedness be uncovered: there shall be turned around thee the cup of the Lord's right hand, and filthy spittle shall be on thy glory.

Drink thou also [thy] fill of disgrace instead of glory: shake, O heart, and quake, the cup of the right hand of the Lord has come round upon thee, and dishonour has gathered upon thy glory.

17 For the violence against Lebanon shall cover thee, and the destruction of beasts, which he terrified away; because of the blood of men, and the violence against the land, the town, and all that dwell therein.

For the ungodliness of Libanus shall cover thee, and distress because of wild beasts shall dismay thee, because of the blood of men, and the sins of the land and city, and of all that dwell in it.

18 What profiteth the graven image that its maker hath graven it? the molten image, and a teacher of falsehood? that the maker of his image trusteth therein, while making dumb idols?

What profit it the graven image, that they have graven it? [one] has made it a molten work, a false image; for the maker has trusted in his work, to make dumb idols.

19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake! Rouse up to the dumb stone. Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and no breath whatever is in its bosom.

Woe to him that says to the wood, Awake, arise; and to the stone, Be thou exalted! whereas it is an image, and this is a casting of gold and silver, and there is no breath in it.

20 But the Lord is in his holy temple: be silent before him all the earth.

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