Habakkuk

¹ 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.

² Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.

³ it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.

⁴ his desires are not upright— but the righteous will live by his faith—

⁵ 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.

⁶ “‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?’

⁷ Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their victim.

⁸ the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed man’s blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

⁹ to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin!

¹⁰ shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.

¹¹ and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

¹² and establishes a town by crime!

¹³ that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?

¹⁴ as the waters cover the sea.

¹⁵ pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies.

¹⁶ Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed! The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.

¹⁷ and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed man’s blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

¹⁸ Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.

¹⁹ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.

²⁰ let all the earth be silent before him.”