Habakkuk 2

1 Upon my watch-tower, will I stand, and will station myself upon the bulwark, —so will I keep outlook, to see—what he will speak with me, and what I shall reply, when I am reproved.

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.

2 Then Yahweh answered me, and said, Write the vision, Yea, make it plain on tablets, that one may swiftly read it;

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

3 For yet is the vision for an appointed time, still, it presseth towards an end, and will not deceive, —if it tarry, wait thou for it, for it, surely cometh, —will not be too late.

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.

4 Lo! as for the conceited one, crooked is his soul within him, - but, one who is righteous, by his faithfulness, shall live.

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

5 Moreover also, when wine betrayeth, a man, is arrogant, and findeth no rest, —because he hath enlarged, like hades, his desire, yea, he, is like death, and cannot be satisfied, —but hath gathered unto himself, all the nations, and assembled unto himself, all the peoples. (Sheol h7585)

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)

6 Shall not, these, all of them, against him, take up—a taunt, a mocking poem, enigmatical sentences—concerning him? And say—Alas! for him who maketh abundance in what is not his own, How long? that he should be burdening himself with heavy debts?

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?

7 Will not thy creditors, suddenly rise up? and they who shall violently shake thee, all at once become active? Then shalt thou serve for booties, unto them!

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

8 Because, thou, hast plundered many nations, all the residue of the peoples, shall plunder thee, —for shedding Human blood, and doing violence to the earth, to the city, and to all who dwell therein.

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.

9 Alas! for him who extorteth an extortion of wrong for his own house, —that he may set on high his nest, that he may be delivered from the grasp of calamity.

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,

10 Thou hast counseled shame to thy house—making an end of many peoples, and endangering thine own life.

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

11 Surely, the stone out of the wall, will make outcry, —and, the tie out of the timber, will answer it.

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

12 Alas! for him who buildeth a city with deeds of blood, —and establisheth a town with perversity.

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

13 Lo! is it not from Yahweh of hosts—that peoples labour for fire, and, populations, for emptiness, weary themselves?

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

14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh, —as, the waters, cover the sea.

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

15 Alas! for him who causeth his neighbour to drink, from the goblet of thy fury, and also, making him drunk, —to the end thou mayest gloat over their parts of shame.

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.

16 Thou art sated with contempt, more than glory, drink, thou too, and expose thy person, —the cup of the right hand of Yahweh, shall come round unto thee, and ignominious filth be upon thy glory;

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.

17 For, the violence [done] to Lebanon, shall cover thee, and wasting by wild beasts shall cause them terror, —for shedding Human blood, and doing violence to the earth, to the city, and to all who dwell therein.

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.

18 What hath a carved image, profited, though the fashioner thereof, carved it? a molten image, and a teacher of falsehood, —though the fashioner of his fashioned thing trusted therein? that men should make Dumb Nonentities!

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?

19 Alas! for him who saith to wood, Awake, bestir thee! to a silent stone, he, shall teach! Though he is overlaid with gold and silver, yet, no spirit whatsoever, is in him!

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.

20 Howbeit, Yahweh, is in his holy temple, —Hush before him, all the earth.

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