1 I will stand at my watch, and set myself on the ramparts, and will look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

I will take my stand and keep watch. I will take my place on the tower. And I will keep watch to see what the Lord will say, and how I should answer when He speaks strong words to me. The Lord’s Answer to Habakkuk

2 Y ahweh answered me, “Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he who runs may read it.

Then the Lord answered me and said, “Write down the special dream on stone so that one may read it in a hurry.

3 F or the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hurries toward the end, and won’t prove false. Though it takes time, wait for it; because it will surely come. It won’t delay.

For it is not yet time for it to come true. The time is coming in a hurry, and it will come true. If you think it is slow in coming, wait for it. For it will happen for sure, and it will not wait.

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

As for the proud one, his soul is not right in him. But the one who is right and good will live by his faith. It Is Bad for the Wrong-Doers

5 Y es, moreover, wine is treacherous. A haughty man who doesn’t stay at home, who enlarges his desire as Sheol, and he is like death, and can’t be satisfied, but gathers to himself all nations, and heaps to himself all peoples.

“Also, wine fools the proud man, so he does not stay at home. He is like the grave who always wants more. Like death, he never has enough. He gathers all nations for himself, and gathers all people for his own.

6 W on’t all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases that which is not his, and who enriches himself by extortion! How long?’

“Will not all these people make fun of him and say, ‘It is bad for him who gathers what is not his and makes himself rich with other people’s money. How long will this go on?’

7 W on’t your debtors rise up suddenly, and wake up those who make you tremble, and you will be their victim?

Will not those to whom you owe money rise up all at once? Will they not wake up and make you afraid? Then they will take what belongs to you.

8 B ecause you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples will plunder you, because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell in it.

Because you have robbed many nations, the rest of them will rob you. For you have killed men. You have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

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

“It is bad for him who builds his house by sinful ways, to put his nest in a high place to be safe from trouble!

10 Y ou have devised shame to your house, by cutting off many peoples, and have sinned against your soul.

You have brought shame upon your house by destroying many nations. You are sinning against yourself.

11 F or the stone will cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the woodwork will answer it.

The stone will cry out from the wall, and the roof will answer it from the wood.

12 W oe to him who builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity!

“It is bad for him who builds a city with blood, and builds a town with wrong-doing!

13 B ehold, isn’t it of Yahweh of Armies that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

Is it not the will of the All-powerful Lord that people work for what will burn up and nations make themselves tired for nothing?

14 F or the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh’s glory, as the waters cover the sea.

For the earth will be filled with knowing of the Lord’s shining-greatness, as the waters cover the sea.

15 “ Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink, pouring your inflaming wine until they are drunk, so that you may gaze at their naked bodies!

“It is bad for him who makes his neighbors drink, mixing in his poison to make them drunk, so he can look on their shame!

16 Y ou are filled with shame, and not glory. You will also drink, and be exposed! The cup of Yahweh’s right hand will come around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.

You will be filled with shame instead of honor. Now you yourself drink and let your own shame be seen. The cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you, and your greatness will turn to shame.

17 F or the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction of the animals, which made them afraid; because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to every city and to those who dwell in them.

The bad things you have done to Lebanon will come back to you. Because you have killed its animals, now they will make you afraid. This will happen because of all the killing you have done. You have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

18 “ What value does the engraved image have, that its maker has engraved it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he who fashions its form trusts in it, to make mute idols?

“Of what worth is a false god when a workman has made it? Of what worth is an object of worship, a teacher of lies? For the workman trusts in his own work when he makes these false gods that cannot speak.

19 W oe to him who says to the wood, ‘Awake!’ or to the mute stone, ‘Arise!’ Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all within it.

It is bad for him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Wake up!’ or to a stone that cannot speak, ‘Get up!’ Can this teach you? See, it is covered with gold and silver. There is no breath in it.

20 B ut Yahweh is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!”

But the Lord is in His holy house. Let all the earth be quiet before Him.”