Habakkuk 2

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 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 Yahweh answered me and said, 'Write the vision down, inscribe it on tablets to be easily read.	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 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 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 'You see, anyone whose heart is not upright wil succumb, but the upright wil live through faithfulness.'	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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 conspired to bring shame on your house: by overthrowing many peoples you have workedyour own ruin.	10 You have devised confusion for your house, you have cut to pieces many peoples, and your soul has sinned.
11 For the very stone will protest from the wal , and the beam wil respond from the framework.	11 For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the wood that is between the joints of the building will respond.
12 Disaster to anyone who builds a town with bloodshed and founds a city on wrong-doing!	12 Woe to him who builds a town with blood and prepares a city by iniquity.
13 Is it not thanks to Yahweh Sabaoth that the peoples' toil is fuel for the fire, and the nations' labourcame to nothing?	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 wil be full of the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh as the waters cover the depths of thesea.	14 For the earth shall be filled, that they might know the glory of the Lord, like the waters spreading over 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 anyone who gives a drink to a friend, releasing a drug and inebriating, so as to look upon their nakedness.
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 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 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 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 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 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	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 Yahweh is in his holy Temple: let the whole earth be silent before him.	20 But the Lord is in his holy temple. May all the earth be silent before his face.