Habakkuk 2:2-20

2Then the Lord answered me and said, “1Write down the vision And inscribe it clearly on tablets, So that one who 2reads it may run.3For the vision is yet for the 3appointed time; It 4hurries toward the goal and it will not 5fail. Though it delays, 6wait for it; For it will certainly come, it 7will not delay long.

4“Behold, as for the 8impudent one, His soul is not right within him; But the 9righteous one will live by his 10faith.5Furthermore, 11wine betrays an 12arrogant man, So that he does not 13achieve his objective. He 14enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all the nations And collects to himself all the peoples.

6“Will all of these not 15take up a song of ridicule against him, Even a saying and insinuations against him And say, ‘16Woe to him who increases what is not his-- For how long-- And makes himself 17rich with debts!’7Will 18your creditors not 19rise up suddenly, And those who 20collect from you awaken? Indeed, you will become plunder for them.8Since you have 21looted many nations, All the rest of the peoples will loot you-- Because of human bloodshed and violence 22done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants.

9“Woe to him who makes 23evil profit for his household, To 24put his nest on high, To be saved from the hand of catastrophe!10You have planned a 25shameful thing for your house By bringing many peoples to an end; So you are 26sinning against yourself.11For the 27stone will cry out from the wall, And the rafter will answer it from the 28framework.

12“Woe to him who 29builds a city with bloodshed, And founds a town with 30violence!13Is it not indeed from the Lord of armies That peoples 31labor merely for fire, And nations become weary for nothing?14For the earth will be 32filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.

15“Woe to him who makes his neighbor drink; 33To you who mix in your venom even to make your neighbors drunk, So as to look at their genitalia!16You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor. 34Drink, you yourself, and 35expose your own foreskin! The 36cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you, And 37utter disgrace will come upon your glory.17For the 38violence 39done to Lebanon will 40overwhelm you, And the devastation of its animals 41by which you terrified them, 42Because of human bloodshed and 43violence 44done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants.

18“What 45benefit is a carved image when its maker has carved it, Or a cast metal image, a 46teacher of falsehood? For its maker 47trusts in his own handiwork When he fashions speechless idols.19Woe to him who 48says to a piece of wood, ‘49Awake!’ To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’ That is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with 50gold and silver, Yet there is 51no breath at all inside it.20But the 52Lord is in His holy temple. 53Let all the earth 54be silent before Him.”