Habakkuk 2

¹I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will look forth to see what he will speak with me, and what I shall answer concerning my complaint.

²And Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it.

³For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay.

⁴Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith.

⁵Yea, moreover, wine is treacherous, a haughty man, that keepeth not at home; who enlargeth his desire as Sheol, and he is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all peoples.

⁶Shall 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 that ladeth himself with pledges!

⁷Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booty unto them?

⁸Because thou hast 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 that dwell therein.

⁹Woe to him that getteth an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the hand of evil!

¹⁰Thou hast devised shame to thy house, by cutting off many peoples, and hast sinned against thy soul.

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

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

¹³Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

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

¹⁵Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, to thee that addest thy venom, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

¹⁶Thou art filled with shame, and not glory: drink thou also, and be as one uncircumcised; the cup of Jehovah’s right hand shall come round unto thee, and foul shame shall be upon thy glory.

¹⁷For the violence done to Lebanon shall cover thee, and the destruction 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 that dwell therein.

¹⁸What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he that fashioneth its form trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

¹⁹Woe unto him that saith 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.

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

Habakkuk 2

¹On 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.

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

³For 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.

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

⁵And 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,

⁶Do not theseall of themagainst 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?

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

⁸Because 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹⁶Thou hast been filledshame 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.

¹⁷For 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.

¹⁸What 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 formationto make dumb idols?

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

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