Habakkuk 2

1 I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the ramparts. I will watch to see what He will say to me, and how I should answer when corrected.

2 Then the LORD answered me: “Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it.

3 For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay.

4 Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright—but the righteous will live by faith—

5 and wealth indeed betrays him. He is an arrogant man never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death, he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself and collects all the peoples as his own.

6 Will not all of these take up a taunt against him, speaking with mockery and derision: ‘Woe to him who amasses what is not his and makes himself rich with many loans! How long will this go on?’

7 Will not your creditors suddenly arise and those who disturb you awaken? Then you will become their prey.

8 Because you have plundered many nations, the remnant of the people will plunder you—because of your bloodshed against man and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers.

9 Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, to place his nest on high and escape the hand of disaster!

10 You have plotted shame for your house by cutting off many peoples and forfeiting your life.

11 For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will echo it from the woodwork.

12 Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity!

13 Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?

14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

15 Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin until they are drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness!

16 You will be filled with shame instead of glory. You too must drink and expose your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD’s right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will cover your glory.

17 For your violence against Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction of animals will terrify you, because of your bloodshed against men and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers.

18 What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.

19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”

20 But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.

1 ¶ I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make [it] plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

3 For the vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

4 Behold, his soul [which] is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

5 ¶ Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, [he is] a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and [is] as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:

6 Shall 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 to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!

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

8 Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men's blood, and [for] the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

9 Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!

10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned [against] thy soul.

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

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

13 Behold, [is it] not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?

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

15 ¶ Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to [him], and makest [him] drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

16 Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD'S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing [shall be] on thy glory.

17 For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, [which] made them afraid, because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

18 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it [is] laid over with gold and silver, and [there is] no breath at all in the midst of it.

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

1 Here I stand upon my guard, and tread upon my stronghold, and watch and see what shall be said unto me, and what I shall answer him that reproacheth me.

2 But the LORD answereth me, and saith, Write the vision, and paint it upon a tablet, that whosoever passeth by may read it:

3 The prophecy shall yet be fulfilled in his time; and it shall come to pass, and shall not be left without. But if it be consumed, wait for it: it shall surely come, and shall not fail.

4 Behold, he that is stiffnecked shall have no rest in his heart: for the righteous liveth by faith.

5 But wine deceiveth the proud man, that he cannot abide, which openeth his soul like hell, and is even as death, which cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto himself all nations, and gathereth unto himself all people.

6 But what is the matter? All these shall make a saying of him, and a fable, and a proverb, saying, Woe to him that multiplieth his substance with other men's substance! How long shall it last? and he shall bring much mire upon himself.

7 O how suddenly they that bite thee shall awake, and they that push thee away shall awake! And thou must come to them.

8 For thou hast spoiled many nations; and all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee again for the blood of men, and for the iniquity of the land, and of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

9 Woe unto him that maketh his house a calamity, that he may set his nest on high, that he may escape calamity!

10 But thy counsel shall be unto the reproach of thine house: for thou hast broken down too many nations, and hast sinned with all wilfulness.

11 For even the stones of the wall shall cry out, and the beams of the bars shall answer them.

12 Woe unto him that buildeth the city with blood, and that destroyeth the city with iniquity!

13 Is it not so, that it shall come to pass from the LORD of hosts? That which the nations have wrought for thee shall be burned with fire, and that which the people are weary of shall be lost.

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

15 Woe unto thee, that pour out thy cup unto thy neighbour, and mix thine anger therewith, and make him drunken, that thou mayest see his shame!

16 Thou shalt also be filled with shame for glory. Now therefore drink thou also, that thou mayest stagger: for the cup that is in the right hand of the LORD shall compass thee about, and thou shalt spit shamefully for thy glory.

17 For the iniquity that is committed in Lebanon shall overtake thee, and the beasts that are destroyed shall terrify thee, because of the blood of men, and because of the iniquity that is committed in the land, and in the city, and against all that dwell therein.

18 What then shall the image profit, which his master hath formed, and the false cast image, wherein his master trusted, that he made dumb idols?

19 Woe unto him that saith unto the wood, Awake! and unto the dumb stone, Arise! How shall it teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath in it.

20 But the LORD is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!