Habakkuk 2

1 On my charge I stand, and I station myself on a bulwark, and I watch to see what He speaks against me, and what I reply 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 YHWH answers me and says: “Write a vision, and explain on the tablets, That he may run who is reading it.

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 yet the vision [is] for a season, And it breathes for the end, and does not lie, If it lingers, wait for it, For surely it comes, it is not late.

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, a presumptuous one! His soul is not upright within him, And the righteous lives by his faith.

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

5 And also, because the wine [is] treacherous, A man is haughty, and does not remain at home, Who has enlarged his soul as Sheol, And is as death that is not satisfied, And gathers to itself all the nations, And assembles to itself all the peoples, (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 Are these not—all of them—an allegory taken up against him, And a moral of acute sayings for him, And say, Woe [to] him who is multiplying [what is] not his? Until when also is he multiplying to himself heavy pledges?

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 Do your usurers not instantly rise up, And those shaking you awake, And you have been a spoil to 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 you have spoiled many nations, All the remnant of the peoples spoil you, Because of man’s blood, and of violence [to] the land, [To] the city, and [to] all dwelling in it.

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

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 You have counseled a shameful thing to your house, To cut off many peoples, and your soul [is] sinful.

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

11 For a stone cries out from the wall, And a beam from the wood answers it.

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

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

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

13 Behold, is it not from YHWH of Hosts And peoples are fatigued for fire, And nations for vanity are weary?

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 is full of the knowledge of the glory of YHWH, As the waters cover over a sea.

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

15 Woe [to] him who is giving drink to his neighbor, Pouring out your bottle, and also making drunk, 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 You have been filled—shame without honor, Drink also, and be uncircumcised, Turn around to you does the cup of the right hand of YHWH, And shameful spewing [is] on your 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 violence [done to] Lebanon covers you, And spoil of beasts frightens them, Because of man’s blood, and of violence [to] the land, [To] the city, and [to] all dwelling in it.

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 profit has a carved image given That its former has hewn it? A molten image and teacher of falsehood, That the former has trusted on his own formation—to make mute 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 [to] him who is saying to wood, Awake, To a mute stone, Stir up, It [is] a teacher! Behold, it is overlaid—gold and silver, And there is no spirit in its midst.

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 And YHWH [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.