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 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 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 make it plain 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 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 Look! The one whose desires are not right within him is puffed up. But the righteous will live by his faith.
Behold, the soul of him that is puffed up shall not be at ease; But the just shall live by his faithfulness.
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)
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 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 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 Will the ones biting at you not rise up suddenly, and the ones terrifying you awaken? You will become a victim for them.
Shall not they suddenly rise up that will oppress thee, And awake, that will harass thee? Yea, thou shalt be their booty.
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 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 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 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 devised shame for your house by cutting off many people, and have sinned against yourself.
Thou hast devised shame for thine house; By destroying many nations, thou hast brought ruin upon thyself.
11 For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters of timber will answer them,
For the stone from the wall crieth out, And the beam from the timber answereth 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 by blood, And establisheth 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, it is determined by Jehovah of hosts, That nations shall labor for the fire, And kingdoms weary themselves for naught.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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 But Yahweh is in his holy temple! Be silent before him, all the land.”
But Jehovah is in his Holy temple; Be silent before him, all the earth!
