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

Behold, the soul of him that is puffed up shall not be at ease; But the just shall live by his faithfulness.

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)

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 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 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 Do not thy usurers instantly rise up, And those shaking thee awake up, And thou hast been for a spoil to 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 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 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] 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 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 Thou hast counselled a shameful thing to thy house, To cut off many peoples, and sinful [is] thy soul.

Thou hast devised shame for thine house; By destroying many nations, thou hast brought ruin upon thyself.

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

For the stone from the wall crieth out, And the beam from the timber answereth it.

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

Woe to him that buildeth a town by blood, And establisheth 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, it is determined by Jehovah of hosts, That nations shall labor for the fire, And kingdoms weary themselves for naught.

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 giveth his neighbor drink; Who poureth out the strong wine, and maketh him drunken, That he may look upon his 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 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 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 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 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 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] 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 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 And Jehovah [is] in His holy temple, Be silent before Him, all the earth!

But Jehovah is in his Holy temple; Be silent before him, all the earth!