Habakkuk 2

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 I will stand at my guard post, and station myself upon the rampart, And keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what answer he will give to my complaint.	1 I will stand firm during my watch, and fix my position over the fortification. And I will observe carefully, to see what might be said to me and what I might respond to my opponent.
2 Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision Clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily.	2 And the Lord responded to me and said: Write the vision and explain it on tablets, so that he who reads it may run through it.
3 For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.	3 For as yet the vision is far off, and it will appear in the end, and it will not lie. If it expresses any delay, wait for it. For it is arriving and it will arrive, and it will not be hindered.
4 The rash man has no integrity; but the just man, because of his faith, shall live. Wealth, too, is treacherous: the proud, unstable man--	4 Behold, he who is unbelieving, his soul will not be right within himself; but he who is just shall live in his faith.
5 He who opens wide his throat like the nether world, and is insatiable as death, Who gathers to himself all the nations, and rallies to himself all the peoples--	5 And in the manner that wine deceives the heavy drinker, so will the arrogant man be deceived, and he will not be honored. He has enlarged his life like hellfire, and himself like death, and he is never fulfilled. And he will gather to himself all nations, and he will amass for himself all peoples.
6 Shall not all these take up a taunt against him, satire and epigrams about him, to say: Woe to him who stores up what is not his: how long can it last! he loads himself down with debts.	6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and an enigmatic utterance about him? And it will be said, “Woe to him who increases what is not his own.” How long, then, will he lay down dense clay against himself?
7 Shall not your creditors rise suddenly? Shall not they who make you tremble awake? You shall become their spoil!	7 Shall they not suddenly rise up, who would bite you, and be stirred up, who would tear you, so that you will be a prey for them?
8 Because you despoiled many peoples all the rest of the nations shall despoil you; Because of men's blood shed, and violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell in it.	8 Because you have despoiled many peoples, all those who are left of the people shall despoil you, because of the blood of men, and the iniquity of the earth, of the city and all who dwell therein.
9 Woe to him who pursues evil gain for his household, setting his nest on high to escape the reach of misfortune!	9 Woe to him who gathers together an evil greed for his house, so that his nest may be exalted, and thinking that he might free himself from the hand of evil.
10 You have devised shame for your household, cutting off many peoples, forfeiting your own life:	10 You have devised confusion for your house, you have cut to pieces many peoples, and your soul has sinned.
11 For the stone in the wall shall cry out, and the beam in the woodwork shall answer it!	11 For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the wood that is between the joints of the building will respond.
12 Woe to him who builds a city by bloodshed, and establishes a town by wickedness!	12 Woe to him who builds a town with blood and prepares a city by iniquity.
13 Is not this from the LORD of hosts: peoples toil for the flames, and nations grow weary for nought!	13 Are not these things before the Lord of hosts? For the people will labor amid a great fire, and the nations will labor in emptiness, and they will fail.
14 But the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the LORD'S glory as water covers the sea.	14 For the earth shall be filled, that they might know the glory of the Lord, like the waters spreading over the sea.
15 Woe to you who give your neighbors a flood of your wrath to drink, and make them drunk, till their nakedness is seen!	15 Woe to anyone who gives a drink to a friend, releasing a drug and inebriating, so as to look upon their nakedness.
16 You are filled with shame instead of glory; drink, you too, and stagger! On you shall revert the cup from the LORD'S right hand, and utter shame on your glory.	16 You are filled with disgrace in place of glory. So then, drink and fall fast asleep, for the cup of the right hand of the Lord will surround you, and a disgraceful vomit will cover your glory.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon shall cover you, and the destruction of the beasts shall terrify you; Because of men's blood shed, and violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell in it.	17 For the iniquity of Lebanon will cover you, and the devastation of animals which will deter them from the blood of men, and the iniquity of the earth and the city, and of all who dwell therein.
18 Of what avail is the carved image, that its maker should carve it? Or the molten image and lying oracle, that its very maker should trust in it, and make dumb idols?	18 Of what benefit is the graven image? For its maker has formed it, a molten and imaginary deception. For its maker has hoped in a figment of his own creation, so as to make a dumb likeness.
19 Woe to him who says to wood, "Awake!" to dumb stone, "Arise!" Can such a thing give oracles? See, it is overlaid with gold and silver, but there is no life breath in it.	19 Woe to him who says to wood, “Awaken,” to the silent stone, “Arise.” Is it able to teach? Behold, it has been entirely covered with gold and silver; and there is no spirit at all in its inner workings.
20 But the LORD is in his holy temple; silence before him, all the earth!	20 But the Lord is in his holy temple. May all the earth be silent before his face.