Habakkuk 2

1 I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the watchtower, and I will watch carefully to see what he will say to me and how I should turn from my complaint.

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will look forth to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer as to my reproof.

2 Yahweh answered me and said, “Record this vision, and write plainly on the tablets so that the one reading them might run.

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

3 For the vision is yet for a future time and will finally speak and not fail. Though it delays, wait for it. For it will surely come and will not tarry.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but it hasteth to the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; for it will surely come, it will not delay.

4 Look! The one whose desires are not right within him is puffed up. But the righteous will live by his faith.

Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright within him: but the just shall live by his faith.

5 For wine is a betrayer of the arrogant young man so that he will not abide, but enlarges his desire like the grave and, like death, is never satisfied. He gathers to himself every nation and gathers up for himself all of the peoples. (Sheol h7585)

And moreover, the wine is treacherous: he is a proud man, and keepeth not at rest, he enlargeth his desire as Sheol, and he is like death and cannot be satisfied; and he assembleth unto him all nations, and gathereth unto him all peoples. (Sheol h7585)

6 Will not all these create a saying to ridicule him and a taunting song about him, saying, 'Woe to the one increasing what is not his! For how long will you increase the weight of the pledges you have taken?'

Shall not all these take up a proverb about him, and a taunting riddle against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? — and to him that loadeth himself with pledges!

7 Will the ones biting at you not rise up suddenly, and the ones terrifying you awaken? You will become a victim for them.

Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and they awake up that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?

8 Because you have plundered many peoples, all the remnant of the peoples will plunder you. For you have shed human blood and acted with violence against the land, the cities, and all who live in them.

Because thou hast plundered many nations, all the rest of the peoples shall plunder thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence [done] to the land, to the city, and all that dwell therein.

9 'Woe to the one who carves out evil gains for his house, so he can set his nest on high to keep himself safe from the hand of evil.'

Woe to him that getteth iniquitous gain to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the grasp of evil!

10 You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many people, and have sinned against yourself.

Thou hast devised shame to thy house, by cutting off many peoples, and hast sinned against thine own soul.

11 For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters of timber will answer them,

For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

12 'Woe to the one who builds a city with blood, and who establishes a town in iniquity.'

Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by unrighteousness!

13 Is it not from Yahweh of hosts that peoples labor for fire and all the other nations weary themselves for nothing?

Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labour for the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?

14 Yet the land will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh as the waters cover the sea.

For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah as the waters cover the sea.

15 'Woe to the one who forces his neighbors to drink— you express your anger over and you make them drunk in order to look at their nakedness.'

Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, — that pourest out thy flask, and makest [him] drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

16 You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink, and you will expose your uncircumcised foreskin! The cup in Yahweh's right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.

Thou art filled with shame instead of glory; drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of Jehovah's right hand shall be turned unto thee, and a shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.

17 The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you and the destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed human blood and you have acted with violence against the land, the cities, and all who live in them.

For the violence [done] to Lebanon shall cover thee, and the destruction of beasts which made them afraid; because of men's blood, and for the violence [done] to the land, to the city, and all that dwell therein.

18 What does the carved figure profit you? For the one who has carved it, or who casts a figure from molten metal, is a teacher of lies; for he trusts his own handiwork when he makes these mute gods.

What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it? the molten image, and the teacher of falsehood, that the maker of his work dependeth thereon, to make dumb idols?

19 'Woe to the one saying to the wood, Wake up! Or to the silent stone, Arise!' Do these things teach? See, it is overlaid with gold and silver, but there is no breath at all within it.

Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake! to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall it teach? Behold it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

20 But Yahweh is in his holy temple! Be silent before him, all the land.”

But Jehovah is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him!