Habakkuk 2:1-20
Habakkuk 2:1-20 (Good News Translation)
1I will climb my watchtower and wait to see what the LORD will tell me to
say and what answer he will give to my complaint. 2The LORD gave me this
answer: Write down clearly on tablets what I reveal to you, so that it can
be read at a glance. 3Put it in writing, because it is not yet time for it
to come true. But the time is coming quickly, and what I show you will
come true. It may seem slow in coming, but wait for it; it will certainly
take place, and it will not be delayed. 4And this is the message: Those
who are evil will not survive, but those who are righteous will live
because they are faithful to God. 5Wealth is deceitful. Greedy people are
proud and restless—like death itself they are never satisfied. That is
why they conquer nation after nation for themselves. 6The conquered people
will taunt their conquerors and show their scorn for them. They will say,
You take what isn't yours, but you are doomed! How long will you go on
getting rich by forcing your debtors to pay up? 7But before you know it,
you that have conquered others will be in debt yourselves and be forced to
pay interest. Enemies will come and make you tremble. They will plunder
you! 8You have plundered the people of many nations, but now those who
have survived will plunder you because of the murders you have committed
and because of your violence against the people of the world and its
cities. 9You are doomed! You have made your family rich with what you took
by violence, and have tried to make your own home safe from harm and
danger! 10But your schemes have brought shame on your family; by
destroying many nations you have only brought ruin on yourself. 11Even the
stones of the walls cry out against you, and the rafters echo the cry.
12You are doomed! You founded a city on crime and built it up by murder.
13The nations you conquered wore themselves out in useless labor, and all
they have built goes up in flames. The LORD Almighty has done this. 14But
the earth will be as full of the knowledge of the LORD's glory as the seas
are full of water. 15You are doomed! In your fury you humiliated and
disgraced your neighbors; you made them stagger as though they were drunk.
16You in turn will be covered with shame instead of honor. You yourself
will drink and stagger. The LORD will make you drink your own cup of
punishment, and your honor will be turned to disgrace. 17You have cut down
the forests of Lebanon; now you will be cut down. You killed its animals;
now animals will terrify you. This will happen because of the murders you
have committed and because of your violence against the people of the
world and its cities. 18What's the use of an idol? It is only something
that a human being has made, and it tells you nothing but lies. What good
does it do for its maker to trust it—a god that can't even talk! 19You
are doomed! You say to a piece of wood, Wake up! or to a block of stone,
Get up! Can an idol reveal anything to you? It may be covered with silver
and gold, but there is no life in it. 20The LORD is in his holy Temple;
let everyone on earth be silent in his presence.
say and what answer he will give to my complaint. 2The LORD gave me this
answer: Write down clearly on tablets what I reveal to you, so that it can
be read at a glance. 3Put it in writing, because it is not yet time for it
to come true. But the time is coming quickly, and what I show you will
come true. It may seem slow in coming, but wait for it; it will certainly
take place, and it will not be delayed. 4And this is the message: Those
who are evil will not survive, but those who are righteous will live
because they are faithful to God. 5Wealth is deceitful. Greedy people are
proud and restless—like death itself they are never satisfied. That is
why they conquer nation after nation for themselves. 6The conquered people
will taunt their conquerors and show their scorn for them. They will say,
You take what isn't yours, but you are doomed! How long will you go on
getting rich by forcing your debtors to pay up? 7But before you know it,
you that have conquered others will be in debt yourselves and be forced to
pay interest. Enemies will come and make you tremble. They will plunder
you! 8You have plundered the people of many nations, but now those who
have survived will plunder you because of the murders you have committed
and because of your violence against the people of the world and its
cities. 9You are doomed! You have made your family rich with what you took
by violence, and have tried to make your own home safe from harm and
danger! 10But your schemes have brought shame on your family; by
destroying many nations you have only brought ruin on yourself. 11Even the
stones of the walls cry out against you, and the rafters echo the cry.
12You are doomed! You founded a city on crime and built it up by murder.
13The nations you conquered wore themselves out in useless labor, and all
they have built goes up in flames. The LORD Almighty has done this. 14But
the earth will be as full of the knowledge of the LORD's glory as the seas
are full of water. 15You are doomed! In your fury you humiliated and
disgraced your neighbors; you made them stagger as though they were drunk.
16You in turn will be covered with shame instead of honor. You yourself
will drink and stagger. The LORD will make you drink your own cup of
punishment, and your honor will be turned to disgrace. 17You have cut down
the forests of Lebanon; now you will be cut down. You killed its animals;
now animals will terrify you. This will happen because of the murders you
have committed and because of your violence against the people of the
world and its cities. 18What's the use of an idol? It is only something
that a human being has made, and it tells you nothing but lies. What good
does it do for its maker to trust it—a god that can't even talk! 19You
are doomed! You say to a piece of wood, Wake up! or to a block of stone,
Get up! Can an idol reveal anything to you? It may be covered with silver
and gold, but there is no life in it. 20The LORD is in his holy Temple;
let everyone on earth be silent in his presence.
God bless you.
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