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 on my watch-tower, And set myself on the bulwark, And watch to see what he will say to me, And what I shall answer to my expostulation.

2 And YHWH answers me and says: “Write a vision, and explain on the tablets, That he may run who is reading it.

And Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, That he may run that readeth it.

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 an appointed time, But it hasteneth to the end; it shall not deceive; If it tarry, wait for it; For it shall surely come; it shall not long delay.

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

Behold, the soul of him that is puffed up shall not be at ease; But the just shall live by his faithfulness.

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)

Behold, the man of wine is outrageous; The proud man remaineth not at rest; He enlargeth his desire as the grave; He is as death, and cannot be satisfied; He gathereth to himself all the nations, And collecteth to himself all the kingdoms. (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 of them utter a song against him, Yea, songs of reproach and derision concerning him? And say, Woe to him that heapeth up that which belongeth not to him! For how long a time? That ladeth himself with goods taken in pledge!

7 Do your usurers not instantly rise up, And those shaking you awake, And you have been a spoil to them?

Shall not they suddenly rise up that will oppress thee, And awake, that will harass thee? Yea, thou shalt be their booty.

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 plundered many kingdoms, All the residue of the nations shall plunder thee: For the blood of men, and for violence against the land, Against the city and all its inhabitants.

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 procureth unjust gain for his house, That he may set his nest on high, That he may be delivered from the evil hand!

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

Thou hast devised shame for thine house; By destroying many nations, thou hast brought ruin upon thyself.

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

For the stone from the wall crieth out, And the beam from the timber answereth it.

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

Woe to him that buildeth a town by blood, And establisheth a city by iniquity!

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

Behold, it is determined by Jehovah of hosts, That nations shall labor for the fire, And kingdoms weary themselves for naught.

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 Jehovah, As the waters cover the sea.

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 who giveth his neighbor drink; Who poureth out the strong wine, and maketh him drunken, That he may look upon his nakedness!

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.

Thou shalt be filled with shame instead of glory; Drink thou also, and show thy foreskin! To thee shall come the cup in the right hand of Jehovah, And foul shame shall be 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 violence done to Lebanon shall cover thee, And the destruction of the beasts which made them afraid, On account of the blood of men, and violence against the land, Against the city and all its inhabitants.

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 profiteth the graven image, When the maker hath graven it? Or the molten image, and the teacher of lies, That the artificer trusteth in his work, When he maketh 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 who saith to the wood, Awake! To the dumb stone, Arise! Will it teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there is no breath within it.

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

But Jehovah is in his Holy temple; Be silent before him, all the earth!