Habakkuk 2
1 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.
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 Then the Lord answered me and said: Inscribe the vision plainly on tablets, so that even someone running by could read it.
And Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, That he may run that readeth it.
3 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.
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 The strength of the proud fails, but the upright lives by their faithfulness.
Behold, the soul of him that is puffed up shall not be at ease; But the just shall live by his faithfulness.
5 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)
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 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!
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 Won’t your creditors suddenly rise, and those who will overthrow you awake, and you become their prey?
Shall not they suddenly rise up that will oppress thee, And awake, that will harass thee? Yea, thou shalt be their booty.
8 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.
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 you who seeks unjust gain for your dynasty, who sets your nest on high to be safe from the reach of misfortune!
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 planned only shame for your dynasty. You have destroyed many peoples, and brought guilt upon yourself;
Thou hast devised shame for thine house; By destroying many nations, thou hast brought ruin upon thyself.
11 the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the timber will answer it.
For the stone from the wall crieth out, And the beam from the timber answereth it.
12 Woe to the person who builds a city by bloodshed, and founds a town by crime
Woe to him that buildeth a town by blood, And establisheth a city by iniquity!
13 while the peoples toil for what fires will consume, and the nations weary themselves for nothing! This the Lord of hosts has said,
Behold, it is determined by Jehovah of hosts, That nations shall labor for the fire, And kingdoms weary themselves for naught.
14 and the earth will be as full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the seas are full of water.
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 in fury gives drink to his neighbor to make him drunk, and see him naked.
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 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!
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 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.
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 use is an idol? A human made it, a metal image. It cannot speak, it cannot teach truth, Why does its maker trust it?
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 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.
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 The Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!
But Jehovah is in his Holy temple; Be silent before him, all the earth!
