Habakkuk 2

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 I shal stand at my post, I shall station myself on my watch-tower, watching to see what he wil say tome, what answer he wil make to my complaints.	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.
2 Then Yahweh answered me and said, 'Write the vision down, inscribe it on tablets to be easily read.	2 Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision Clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily.
3 For the vision is for its appointed time, it hastens towards its end and it wil not lie; although it may takesome time, wait for it, for come it certainly will before too long.	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.
4 'You see, anyone whose heart is not upright wil succumb, but the upright wil live through faithfulness.'	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--
5 Now, surely, wealth is treacherous! He is arrogant, for ever on the move, with appetite as large asSheol and as insatiable as Death, gathering in al the nations, and making a harvest of al peoples.	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--
6 Are not the peoples al bound to satirise and make up cryptic riddles about him? As for instance:Disaster to anyone who amasses goods not his (for how long?) and to anyone who weighs himself down withgoods taken in pledge!	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.
7 Wil not your creditors suddenly stand up, wil not those who make you shiver wake up, and you wil fala prey to them?	7 Shall not your creditors rise suddenly? Shall not they who make you tremble awake? You shall become their spoil!
8 Since you have plundered many nations, al the nations that remain wil plunder you, because of thebloodshed and violence done to the country, to the city and to all who live in it.	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.
9 Disaster to anyone who amasses ill-gotten gains for his house, so as to fix his nest on high and soevade the reach of misfortune!	9 Woe to him who pursues evil gain for his household, setting his nest on high to escape the reach of misfortune!
10 You have conspired to bring shame on your house: by overthrowing many peoples you have workedyour own ruin.	10 You have devised shame for your household, cutting off many peoples, forfeiting your own life:
11 For the very stone will protest from the wal , and the beam wil respond from the framework.	11 For the stone in the wall shall cry out, and the beam in the woodwork shall answer it!
12 Disaster to anyone who builds a town with bloodshed and founds a city on wrong-doing!	12 Woe to him who builds a city by bloodshed, and establishes a town by wickedness!
13 Is it not thanks to Yahweh Sabaoth that the peoples' toil is fuel for the fire, and the nations' labourcame to nothing?	13 Is not this from the LORD of hosts: peoples toil for the flames, and nations grow weary for nought!
14 But the earth wil be full of the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh as the waters cover the depths of thesea.	14 But the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the LORD'S glory as water covers the sea.
15 Disaster to anyone who makes his neighbours drink, pouring out his poison until they are drunk, sothat he can see them naked!	15 Woe to you who give your neighbors a flood of your wrath to drink, and make them drunk, till their nakedness is seen!
16 You are ful of shame, not glory! Your turn now to drink and show your foreskin. The cup in Yahweh'sright hand comes round to you, and disgrace wil overshadow your glory.	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.
17 For the violence done to the Lebanon wil overwhelm you and the massacre of animals will terrify you,because of the bloodshed and violence done to the country, to the city and to al who live in it. Disaster toanyone who says to the log, 'Wake up!', to the dumb stone, 'On your feet!' (This is the prophecy!) Look, he isencased in gold and silver, -but not a breath of life inside it!	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.
18 What use is a sculpted image that a sculptor should make it? - a metal image, a lying instructor! Andwhy does the image-maker put his trust in it, that he should make dumb idols?	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?
19	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.
20 But Yahweh is in his holy Temple: let the whole earth be silent before him.	20 But the LORD is in his holy temple; silence before him, all the earth!