1 O n 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.

I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved.

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

Then the Lord answered me and said, “ Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run.

3 F or yet the vision 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.

“For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.

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

“Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.

5 A nd also, because the wine 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,

“Furthermore, wine betrays the haughty man, So that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all nations And collects to himself all peoples.

6 D o not these -- all of them -- against him a simile taken up, And a moral of acute sayings for him, And say, Wo him who is multiplying not his? Till when also is he multiplying to himself heavy pledges?

“Will not all of these take up a taunt-song against him, Even mockery and insinuations against him And say, ‘ Woe to him who increases what is not his— For how long— And makes himself rich with loans?’

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

“Will not your creditors rise up suddenly, And those who collect from you awaken? Indeed, you will become plunder for them.

8 B ecause thou hast spoiled many nations, Spoil thee do all the remnant of the peoples, Because of man's blood, and of violence the land, the city, and all dwelling in it.

“Because you have looted many nations, All the remainder of the peoples will loot you— Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants.

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

“Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house To put his nest on high, To be delivered from the hand of calamity!

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

“You have devised a shameful thing for your house By cutting off many peoples; So you are sinning against yourself.

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

“Surely the stone will cry out from the wall, And the rafter will answer it from the framework.

12 W o him who is building a city by blood, And establishing a city by iniquity.

“Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed And founds a town with violence!

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

“Is it not indeed from the Lord of hosts That peoples toil for fire, And nations grow weary for nothing?

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

“For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.

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

“Woe to you who make your neighbors drink, Who mix in your venom even to make them drunk So as to look on their nakedness!

16 T hou hast been filled -- shame without honour, Drink thou also, and be uncircumcised, Turn round unto thee doth the cup of the right hand of Jehovah, And shameful spewing on thine honour.

“You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor. Now you yourself drink and expose your own nakedness. The cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you, And utter disgrace will come upon your glory.

17 F or violence Lebanon doth cover thee, And spoil of beasts doth affright them, Because of man's blood, and of violence the land, the city, and all dwelling in it.

“For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, And the devastation of its beasts by which you terrified them, Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants.

18 W hat 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 formation -- to make dumb idols?

“What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, Or an image, a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork When he fashions speechless idols.

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

“Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘ Awake!’ To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’ And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there is no breath at all inside it.

20 A nd Jehovah in His holy temple, Be silent before Him, all the earth!

“But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him.”