1 I 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.

I will stand upon my post of observation and station myself on the tower or fortress, and will watch to see what He will say within me and what answer I will make to the perplexities of my complaint against Him.

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

And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may read as he hastens by.

3 F or 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.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day.

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

Look at the proud; his soul is not straight or right within him, but the just and the righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness.

5 Y ea, 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.

Moreover, wine and wealth are treacherous; the proud man is restless and cannot stay at home. His appetite is large like that of Sheol and is like death and cannot be satisfied; he gathers to himself all nations and collects all people as if he owned them.

6 S hall 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!

Shall not all these take up a taunt against him and in scoffing derision of him say, Woe to him who piles up that which is not his! And who loads himself with promissory notes for usury!

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

Shall not rise up suddenly who shall bite you, exacting usury of you, and those awake who will vex you ? Then you will be booty for them.

8 B ecause 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.

Because you have plundered many nations, all who are left of the people shall plunder you—because of men’s blood and for the violence done to the earth, to the city and all the people who live in each city.

9 W oe 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!

Woe to him who obtains wicked gain for his house, to set his nest on high that he may be preserved from calamity and delivered from the power of evil!

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

You have devised shame to your house by cutting off and putting an end to many peoples, and you have sinned against and forfeited your own life.

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

For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the woodwork will answer it.

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

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

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

Behold, is it not by appointment of the Lord of hosts that the nations toil only to satisfy the fire, and the peoples weary themselves only for emptiness, falsity, and futility?

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

But the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

15 W oe 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!

Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink, who pours out your bottle to them and adds to it your poisonous and blighting wrath and also makes them drunk, that you may look on their stripped condition and pour out foul shame!

16 T hou 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.

You will be filled with shame and contempt instead of glory. Drink also and be like an uncircumcised! The cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you, and foul shame shall be upon your own glory!

17 F or 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.

For the violence done to Lebanon will cover and overwhelm you; the destruction of the animals will terrify you on account of men’s blood and the violence done to the land, to the city and all its inhabitants.

18 W hat 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?

What profit is the graven image when its maker has formed it? It is only a molten image and a teacher of lies. For the maker trusts in his own creations when he makes dumb idols.

19 W oe 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.

Woe to him who says to the wooden image, Awake! and to the dumb stone, Arise, teach! behold, it is laid over with gold and silver and there is no breath at all inside it!

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

But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth hush and keep silence before Him.