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 climb my watchtower; I will take my place on the city wall. I will keep watch and see what he will say to me, how he will answer my grievances.
2 And Jehovah answereth me and saith: 'Write a vision, and explain on the tables, That he may run who is reading it.
Then the Lord told me, Write down the vision, inscribe it on tablets, so it can be easily read.
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 for a future time, it is about the end and it does not lie. If it seems slow in being fulfilled, wait for it, for it will definitely come—it will not be delayed!
4 Lo, a presumptuous one! Not upright is his soul within him, And the righteous by his stedfastness liveth.
Look at those who are proud! They do not live right. But those who live right do so through their trust in God.
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)
In addition wealth provides no security. Those who are arrogant never have any peace; their greedy mouths are as wide open as the grave, and like death they are never satisfied. They gather nations like possessions, swallowing up many 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?
Won't all these peoples taunt them? They will ridicule them, saying, “What disaster is coming to you who pile up things that don't belong to you! You make yourselves rich by forcing debtors to pay! How long can you go on doing this?”
7 Do not thy usurers instantly rise up, And those shaking thee awake up, And thou hast been for a spoil to them?
Won't your debtors suddenly act? Won't they wake up to the situation and make you tremble? You will be plunder for 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 you have plundered many nations, those who are left will plunder you—for the human blood you have shed and the destruction you brought on lands and cities, and those who lived there.
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,
What disaster is coming to you who build houses through dishonest gain! You think you can place your “nest” so high it will be safe from disaster.
10 Thou hast counselled a shameful thing to thy house, To cut off many peoples, and sinful [is] thy soul.
Your evil schemes have brought shame upon your families, by destroying many nations you have forfeited your own lives.
11 For a stone from the wall doth cry out, And a holdfast from the wood answereth it.
Even the stones in the wall cry out in condemnation, and the wooden rafters join in too.
12 Woe [to] him who is building a city by blood, And establishing a city by iniquity.
What disaster is coming to you who build cities with bloodshed, who found cities built on wickedness!
13 Lo, is it not from Jehovah of Hosts And peoples are fatigued for fire, And nations for vanity are weary?
Hasn't the Lord Almighty decided that all such nations work for will be destroyed by fire, that they wear themselves out for nothing?
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 will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord's glory as the waters fill 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.
What disaster is coming to you who make your neighbors drunk! You force your cup of anger on them and make them drink so you may see them naked.
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.
In turn you will be filled with shame instead of glory. Drink yourself and expose your nakedness! The cup the Lord holds in his right hand will be passed round to you and your glory will turn to shame.
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.
As you destroyed the forests of Lebanon you will also be destroyed; you hunted the animals there, and now they will hunt you. For you shed human blood and you destroyed lands and cities, along with those who lived there.
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 use is a wooden idol carved by human hands, or a metal image that teaches lies? What is the point of their makers trusting in their own handiwork, creating idols that can't speak?
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.
What disaster is coming to you who say to something made of wood, “Wake up!” or to lifeless stone, “Get up!” Can it teach you anything? Look at it! It's covered with gold and silver, but there is no life inside it.
20 And Jehovah [is] in His holy temple, Be silent before Him, all the earth!
But the Lord is in his holy Temple; let all the earth be silent in his presence.
