Habakkuk 2

1 I will stand upon my watch, and seat myself upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say to me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

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.

2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make [it] plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

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

3 For the vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it may tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

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.

4 Behold, his soul [which] is lifted up, is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

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

5 Yes also, because he transgresseth by wine, [he is] a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire, as hell, and [is] as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth to him all nations, and collecteth to him all people: (Sheol h7585)

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)

6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth [that which is] not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!

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?'

7 Shall they not rise suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall disturb thee, and thou shalt be for booties to them?

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

8 Because thou hast laid waste many nations, all the remnant of the people shall lay thee waste; because of men's blood, and [for] the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

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.

9 Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!

'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.'

10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned [against] thy soul.

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

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

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

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

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

13 Behold, [is it] not from the LORD of hosts that the people shall labor in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?

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

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

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

15 Woe to him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to [him], and makest [him] drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

'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.'

16 Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD'S right hand shall be turned to thee, and shameful vomiting [shall be] on thy glory.

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.

17 For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, 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.

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.

18 What profiteth the graven image that its maker hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

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.

19 Woe to him that saith 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.

'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.

20 But the LORD [is] in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.

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