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 watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

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

And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that reads 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 at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

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 which is lifted up is not upright in 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)

Yea also, because he trangresses by wine, he is a proud man, neither keeps at home, who enlarges his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathers unto him all nations, and heaps unto him all people: (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 parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increases that which is not his! how long? and to him that loads himself with thick clay!

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 you, and awake that shall vex you, and you shall 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 you have spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil you; because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of 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 covers an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!

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

You have consulted shame to your house by cutting off many people, and have sinned against your 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 builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity!

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 the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?

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 the LORD, 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 gives his neighbour drink, that put your bottle to him, and make him drunken also, that you may 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.

You are filled with shame for glory: drink you also, and let your foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD's right hand shall be turned unto you, and shameful spewing shall be on your 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 of Lebanon shall cover you, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of 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 profits the graven image that the maker thereof has graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusts therein, 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 says to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over 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 the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.