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.

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

And YHWH answers me and says: “Write a vision, and explain on the tablets, That he may run who is reading 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 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 Look! The one whose desires are not right within him is puffed up. But the righteous will live by his faith.

Behold, a presumptuous one! His soul is not upright within him, And the righteous lives 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 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 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?'

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

Do your usurers not instantly rise up, And those shaking you awake, And you have been a spoil to 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 peoples spoil you, Because of man’s blood, and of violence [to] the land, [To] the city, and [to] all dwelling in it.

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 who is gaining evil gain for his house, To set his nest on high, To be delivered from the hand of evil,

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

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

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

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

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

Woe [to] him who is building a city by blood, And establishing 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 from YHWH of Hosts And peoples are fatigued for fire, And nations for vanity are weary?

14 Yet the land will 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 '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 [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 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 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 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 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 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 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 '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 [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 But Yahweh is in his holy temple! Be silent before him, all the land.”

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