Habakkuk 2

1 On my charge I stand, and I station myself on a bulwark, and I watch to see what He doth speak against me, and what I do reply to my reproof.

I will stand upon my watch, and set myself upon the tower, and will look forth to see what he will speak with me, and what I shall answer concerning my complaint.

2 And Jehovah answereth me and saith: 'Write a vision, and explain on the tables, That he may run who is reading it.

And Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run who reads it.

3 For yet the vision [is] for a season, And it breatheth for the end, and doth not lie, If it tarry, wait for it, For surely it cometh, it is not late.

For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hastens toward the end, and shall not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come. It will not delay.

4 Lo, a presumptuous one! Not upright is his soul within him, And the righteous by his stedfastness liveth.

Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright in him. (But the righteous man shall live by his faith.

5 And also, because the wine [is] treacherous, A man is haughty, and remaineth not at home, Who hath enlarged as sheol his soul, And is as death that is not satisfied, And doth gather unto itself all the nations, And doth assemble unto itself all the peoples, (Sheol h7585)

Yea, moreover, wine is treacherous.) He is a haughty man, who does not keep at home, who enlarges his desire as Sheol, and he is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathers to him all nations, and heaps to him all peoples. (Sheol h7585)

6 Do not these — all of them — against him a simile taken up, And a moral of acute sayings for him, And say, Woe [to] him who is multiplying [what is] not his? Till when also is he multiplying to himself heavy pledges?

Shall not all these take up a derision against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him who increases that which is not his (how long?) and who loads himself with pledges!

7 Do not thy usurers instantly rise up, And those shaking thee awake up, And thou hast been for a spoil to them?

Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee. And thou shall be for booty to them?

8 Because thou hast spoiled many nations, Spoil thee do all the remnant of the peoples, Because of man's blood, and of violence [to] the land, [To] the city, and [to] all dwelling in it.

Because thou have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder thee, because of men's blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell therein.

9 Woe [to] him who is gaining evil gain for his house, To set on high his nest, To be delivered from the hand of evil,

Woe to him who gets an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the hand of evil!

10 Thou hast counselled a shameful thing to thy house, To cut off many peoples, and sinful [is] thy soul.

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

11 For a stone from the wall doth cry out, And a holdfast from the wood answereth it.

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

12 Woe [to] him who is building a city by blood, And establishing a city by iniquity.

Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity!

13 Lo, is it not from Jehovah of Hosts And peoples are fatigued for fire, And nations for vanity are weary?

Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

14 For full is the earth of the knowledge of the honour of Jehovah, As waters cover [the bottom of] a sea.

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

15 Woe [to] him who is giving drink to his neighbour, Pouring out thy bottle, and also making drunk, In order to look on their nakedness.

Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink, who adds thy venom, and also makes him drunken, that thou may look on their nakedness!

16 Thou hast been filled — shame without honour, Drink thou also, and be uncircumcised, Turn round unto thee doth the cup of the right hand of Jehovah, And shameful spewing [is] on thine honour.

Thou are filled with shame, and not glory. Drink thou also, and be as one uncircumcised. The cup of Jehovah's right hand shall come around to thee, and foul shame shall be upon thy glory.

17 For violence [to] Lebanon doth cover thee, And spoil of beasts doth affright them, Because of man's blood, and of violence [to] the land, [To] the city, and [to] all dwelling in it.

For the violence done to Lebanon shall cover thee and the plunder of the beasts (which made them afraid), because of men's blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell therein.

18 What profit hath a graven image given That its former hath graven it? A molten image and teacher of falsehood, That trusted hath the former on his own formation — to make dumb idols?

What profits the graven image, that the maker of it has engraved it, the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he who fashions its form trusts in it, to make dumb idols?

19 Woe [to] him who is saying to wood, 'Awake,' 'Stir up,' to a dumb stone, It a teacher! lo, it is overlaid — gold and silver, And there is no spirit in its midst.

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

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

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