The LORD's Answer to Habakkuk

21 I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart ; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved . 2 Then the Lord answered me and said , " Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets , That the one who reads it may run . 3 "For the vision is yet for the appointed time ; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail . Though it tarries , wait for it; For it will certainly come , it will not delay . 4 "Behold , as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith .

5 "Furthermore , wine betrays the haughty man , So that he does not stay at home . He enlarges his appetite like Sheol , And he is like death , never satisfied . He also gathers to himself all nations And collects to himself all peoples .

Woes on the Unrighteous

6 "Will not all of these take up a taunt-song against him, Even mockery and insinuations against him And say , ' Woe to him who increases what is not his- For how long e - And makes himself rich with loans ?' 7 "Will not your creditors rise up suddenly , And those who collect from you awaken ? Indeed, you will become plunder for them. 8 "Because you have looted many nations , All the remainder of the peoples will loot you- Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land , To the town and all its inhabitants . 9 "Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house To put his nest on high , To be delivered from the hand of calamity ! 10 "You have devised a shameful thing for your house By cutting off many peoples ; So you are sinning against yourself . 11 "Surely the stone will cry out from the wall , And the rafter will answer it from the framework . 12 "Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed And founds a town with violence ! 13 "Is it not indeed from the Lord of hosts That peoples toil for fire , And nations grow weary for nothing ? 14 "For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord , As the waters cover the sea .

15 "Woe to you who make your neighbors drink , Who mix in your venom even to make them drunk So as to look on their nakedness ! 16 "You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor . Now you yourself drink and expose your own nakedness . The cup in the Lord'S right hand will come around to you, And utter disgrace will come upon your glory . 17 "For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, And the devastation of its beasts by which you terrified them, Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land , To the town and all its inhabitants . 18 "What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, Or an image , a teacher of falsehood ? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork When he fashions speechless idols . 19 "Woe to him who says to a piece of wood , ' Awake !' To a mute stone , 'Arise !' And that is your teacher ? Behold , it is overlaid with gold and silver , And there is no breath at all inside it. 20 "But the Lord is in His holy temple . Let all the earth be silent before e Him."