Habakkuk 2

AMP — Amplified Bible (AMP)

NIVUK — New International Version - UK Bible (NIVUK)

Verse 1

I will stand at my guard post
And station myself on the tower;
And I will keep watch to see what He will say to me,
And what answer I will give [as His spokesman] when I am reproved.

I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint.^[a]

The Lord’s answer

Verse 2

Then the Lord answered me and said,
“Write the vision
And engrave it plainly on [clay] tablets
So that the one who reads it will run.

Then the Lord replied:

‘Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald^[b] may run with it.

Verse 3

“For the vision is yet for the appointed [future] time
It hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail.
Even though it delays, wait [patiently] for it,
Because it will certainly come; it will not delay.

For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
    it speaks of the end
    and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
    it^[c] will certainly come
    and will not delay.

Verse 4

“Look at the proud one,
His soul is not right within him,
But the righteous will live by his faith [in the true God].

‘See, the enemy is puffed up;
his desires are not upright –
but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness^[d] –

Verse 5

“Moreover, wine is treacherous and betrays the arrogant man,
So that he does not stay at home.
His appetite is large like Sheol,
And he is like death, never satisfied.
He gathers to himself all nations
And collects to himself all peoples [as if he owned them].

indeed, wine betrays him;
    he is arrogant and never at rest.
Because he is as greedy as the grave
    and like death is never satisfied,
he gathers to himself all the nations
    and takes captive all the peoples.

Verse 6

“Will all these [victims of his greed] not take up a taunting song against him,
And in mocking derision against him
Say, ‘^[a]Woe (judgment is coming) to him who increases that which is not his—
How long [will he possess it]?
And [woe to him who] makes himself wealthy with loans.’

‘Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying,

‘“Woe to him who piles up stolen goods
and makes himself wealthy by extortion!
How long must this go on?”

Verse 7

“Will your creditors not rise up suddenly,
And those who collect from you awaken?
Then you will become plunder for them.

Will not your creditors suddenly arise?
Will they not wake up and make you tremble?
Then you will become their prey.

Verse 8

“Because you [king of Babylon] have looted many nations,
All peoples who are left will loot you—
Because of human bloodshed and for the violence done to the land,
To the city and all its inhabitants.

Because you have plundered many nations,
the peoples who are left will plunder you.
For you have shed human blood;
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

Verse 9

“Woe (judgment is coming) to him who obtains wicked gain for his house [and thinks by so doing]
To set his nest on high,
That he may be rescued from the hand of evil.

‘Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain,
setting his nest on high
to escape the clutches of ruin!

Verse 10

“You have devised a shameful thing for your house
By cutting off and putting an end to many peoples;
So you are sinning against your own life and forfeiting it.

You have plotted the ruin of many peoples,
shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.

Verse 11

“For the stone will cry out from the wall [to accuse you—built in sin!]
And the rafter will answer it out of the woodwork.

The stones of the wall will cry out,
and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

Verse 12

“Woe (judgment is coming) to him who builds a city with bloodshed
And establishes a town by violence!

‘Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed
and establishes a town by injustice!

Verse 13

“Is it not indeed from the Lord of hosts
That peoples labor [only] for the fire [that will destroy their work],
And nations grow weary for nothing [that is, things which have no lasting value]?

Has not the Lord Almighty determined
that the people’s labour is only fuel for the fire,
that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?

Verse 14

“But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
As the waters cover the sea.

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.

Verse 15

“Woe (judgment is coming) to you who make your neighbors drink,
Who mix in your venom to make them drunk
So that you may look at their nakedness!

‘Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbours,
pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,
so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!

Verse 16

“You will be filled with disgrace instead of honor.
Now drink and expose your own nakedness!
The cup [of wrath] in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you [O destroyer],
And utter disgrace will be on your own glory.

You will be filled with shame instead of glory.
Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed!^[e]
The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming round to you,
and disgrace will cover your glory.

Verse 17

“For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you;
The destruction of the animals will terrify you
On account of human bloodshed and the violence done to the land,
To the city and all its inhabitants.

The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
and your destruction of animals will terrify you.
For you have shed human blood;
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

Verse 18

“What profit is the carved image when its maker has formed it?
It is only a cast image, and a teacher of lies.
For its maker trusts in his own creation [as his god]
When he makes speechless idols.

‘Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman?
Or an image that teaches lies?
For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;
he makes idols that cannot speak.

Verse 19

“Woe (judgment is coming) to him who says to the wooden image, ‘Awake!’
And to the speechless stone, ‘Arise!’
And that is your teacher?
Look, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
And there is no breath at all inside it.

Woe to him who says to wood, “Come to life!”
    Or to lifeless stone, “Wake up!”
Can it give guidance?
    It is covered with gold and silver;
    there is no breath in it.’

Verse 20

“But the Lord is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth hush and be silent before Him.”

The Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him.