Habakkuk 2

¹I will stand firm during my watch, and fix my position over the fortification. And I will observe carefully, to see what might be said to me and what I might respond to my opponent.

²And the Lord responded to me and said: Write the vision and explain it on tablets, so that he who reads it may run through it.

³For as yet the vision is far off, and it will appear in the end, and it will not lie. If it expresses any delay, wait for it. For it is arriving and it will arrive, and it will not be hindered.

⁴Behold, he who is unbelieving, his soul will not be right within himself; but he who is just shall live in his faith.

⁵And in the manner that wine deceives the heavy drinker, so will the arrogant man be deceived, and he will not be honored. He has enlarged his life like hellfire, and himself like death, and he is never fulfilled. And he will gather to himself all nations, and he will amass for himself all peoples.

⁶Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and an enigmatic utterance about him? And it will be said, “Woe to him who increases what is not his own.” How long, then, will he lay down dense clay against himself?

⁷Shall they not suddenly rise up, who would bite you, and be stirred up, who would tear you, so that you will be a prey for them?

⁸Because you have despoiled many peoples, all those who are left of the people shall despoil you, because of the blood of men, and the iniquity of the earth, of the city and all who dwell therein.

⁹Woe to him who gathers together an evil greed for his house, so that his nest may be exalted, and thinking that he might free himself from the hand of evil.

¹⁰You have devised confusion for your house, you have cut to pieces many peoples, and your soul has sinned.

¹¹For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the wood that is between the joints of the building will respond.

¹²Woe to him who builds a town with blood and prepares a city by iniquity.

¹³Are not these things before the Lord of hosts? For the people will labor amid a great fire, and the nations will labor in emptiness, and they will fail.

¹⁴For the earth shall be filled, that they might know the glory of the Lord, like the waters spreading over the sea.

¹⁵Woe to anyone who gives a drink to a friend, releasing a drug and inebriating, so as to look upon their nakedness.

¹⁶You are filled with disgrace in place of glory. So then, drink and fall fast asleep, for the cup of the right hand of the Lord will surround you, and a disgraceful vomit will cover your glory.

¹⁷For the iniquity of Lebanon will cover you, and the devastation of animals which will deter them from the blood of men, and the iniquity of the earth and the city, and of all who dwell therein.

¹⁸Of what benefit is the graven image? For its maker has formed it, a molten and imaginary deception. For its maker has hoped in a figment of his own creation, so as to make a dumb likeness.

¹⁹Woe to him who says to wood, “Awaken,” to the silent stone, “Arise.” Is it able to teach? Behold, it has been entirely covered with gold and silver; and there is no spirit at all in its inner workings.

²⁰But the Lord is in his holy temple. May all the earth be silent before his face.

Habakkuk 2

¹I will stand upon my watch, and fix my foot upon the tower: and I will watch, to see what will be said to me, and what I may answer to him that reproveth me.

²And the Lord answered me, and said: Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables: that he that readeth it may run over it.

³For as yet the vision is far off, and it shall appear at the end, and shall not lie: if it make any delay, wait for it: for it shall surely come, and it shall not be slack.

⁴Behold, he that is unbelieving, his soul shall not be right in himself: but the just shall live in his faith.

⁵And as wine deceiveth him that drinketh it: so shall the proud man be, and he shall not be honoured: who hath enlarged his desire like hell: and is himself like death, and he is never satisfied: but will gather together unto him all nations, and heap together unto him all people.

⁶Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a dark speech concerning him: and it shall be said: Woe to him that heapeth together that which is not his own? how long also doth he load himself with thick clay?

⁷Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee: and they be stirred up that shall tear thee, and thou shalt be a spoil to them?

⁸Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all that shall be left of the people shall spoil thee: because of men's blood, and for the iniquity of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

⁹Woe to him that gathereth together an evil covetousness to his house, that his nest may be on high, and thinketh he may be delivered out of the hand of evil.

¹⁰Thou hast devised confusion to thy house, thou hast cut off many people, and thy soul hath sinned.

¹¹For the stone shall cry out of the wall: and the timber that is between the joints of the building, shall answer.

¹²Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and prepareth a city by iniquity.

¹³Are not these things from the Lord of hosts? for the people shall labour in a great fire: and the nations in vain, and they shall faint.

¹⁴For the earth shall be filled, that men may know the glory of the Lord, as waters covering the sea.

¹⁵Woe to him that giveth drink to his friend, and presenteth his gall, and maketh him drunk, that he may behold his nakedness.

¹⁶Thou art filled with shame instead of glory: drink thou also, and fall fast asleep: the cup of the right hand of the Lord shall compass thee, and shameful vomiting shall be on thy glory.

¹⁷For the iniquity of Libanus shall cover thee, and the ravaging of beasts shall terrify them because of the blood of men, and the iniquity of the land, and of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

¹⁸What doth the graven thing avail, because the maker thereof hath graven it, a molten, and a false image? because the forger thereof hath trusted in a thing of his own forging, to make dumb idols.

¹⁹Woe to him that saith to wood: Awake: to the dumb stone: Arise: can it teach? Behold, it is laid over with gold, and silver, and there is no spirit in the bowels thereof.

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