Ha-ba-cúc

1On 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.

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

3For yet the vision [is] 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.

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

5And also, because the wine [is] 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,

6Do not these — all of them — against him a simile taken up, And a moral of acute sayings for him, And say, Woe [to] him who is multiplying [what is] not his? Till when also is he multiplying to himself heavy pledges?

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

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

9Woe [to] him who is gaining evil gain for his house, To set on high his nest, To be delivered from the hand of evil,

10Thou hast counselled a shameful thing to thy house, To cut off many peoples, and sinful [is] thy soul.

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

12Woe [to] him who is building a city by blood, And establishing a city by iniquity.

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

14For full is the earth of the knowledge of the honour of Jehovah, As waters cover [the bottom of] a sea.

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

16Thou 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 [is] on thine honour.

17For violence [to] Lebanon doth cover thee, And spoil of beasts doth affright them, Because of man's blood, and of violence [to] the land, [To] the city, and [to] all dwelling in it.

18What 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?

19Woe [to] 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.

20And Jehovah [is] in His holy temple, Be silent before Him, all the earth!

The LORD Answers Again

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

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

3For 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.

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

5and wealthindeed 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 himselfand collects all the peoples as his own.

Woe to the Chaldeans

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

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

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

9Woe to him who builds his houseby unjust gain,to place his nest on highand escape the hand of disaster!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18What 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.

19Woe 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.”

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