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 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 down the vision, and make it plain upon the tables, that everyone may read it fluently.

Then the Lord answered me and said: Inscribe the vision plainly on tablets, so that even someone running by could read it.

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.

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

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

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)

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 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!

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

Won’t your creditors suddenly rise, and those who will overthrow you awake, and you become their prey?

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.

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

You have planned only shame for your dynasty. You have destroyed many peoples, and brought guilt upon yourself;

11 For the stone will cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the wood [-work] will 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 city with blood-guiltiness, and layeth the foundation of a town by wrong-doing.

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

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!

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 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 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 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 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.

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 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 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 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 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! 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 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: be silent before him all the earth.

The Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!