Habakkuk 2

1 I will stand at my watch, and set myself on the ramparts, and will look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

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 YHWH answered me, "Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he who runs may read it.

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 hurries toward the end, and won't prove false. Though it takes time, wait for it; because it will surely come, and it won't 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 Look, if he holds back, my soul has no pleasure in him, but the righteous will live by faith.

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

5 And moreover, wealth is treacherous; a proud man will not endure. He enlarges his desire as Sheol, and he is like death, and can't be satisfied. He gathers all nations to himself, and collects to himself 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 Won't all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, 'Woe to him who increases that which is not his, and who enriches himself by extortion. How long?'

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 Won't your debtors rise up suddenly, and wake up those who make you tremble, and you will be their victim?

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

8 Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples will plunder you, because of men's blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell in it.

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 who gets an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the hand 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 You have devised shame to your house, by cutting off many peoples, and have sinned against your soul.

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

11 For the stone will cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the woodwork will answer it.

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

12 Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity.

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

13 Look, isn't it of YHWH of hosts that the peoples labor 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 will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of YHWH, 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 to him who gives his neighbor drink, pouring your inflaming wine until they are drunk, so that you may gaze at their naked bodies.

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 You are filled with shame, and not glory. You will also drink, and be exposed. The cup of YHWH's right hand will come around to you, and disgrace will cover your 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 will overwhelm you, and the destruction of the animals, which made them afraid; because of men's blood, and for the violence done to the land, to every city and to those who dwell in them.

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 value does the engraved image have, that its maker has engraved it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he who fashions its form trusts in it, to make mute 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 to him who says to the wood, 'Awake.' or to the mute stone, 'Arise.' Shall this teach? Look, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in its midst.

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 YHWH is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him."

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