“1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will
watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am
reproved. 2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and
make [it] plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For the
vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak,
and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come,
it will not tarry. 4 Behold, his soul [which] is lifted up is not
upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.”
“5 Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, [he is] a proud man,
neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and [is] as
death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and
heapeth unto him all people: 6 Shall not all these take up a parable
against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him
that increaseth [that which is] not his! how long? and to him that
ladeth himself with thick clay! 7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that
shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for
booties unto them? 8 Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the
remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men’s blood, and
[for] the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell
therein. 9 Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house,
that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the
power of evil! 10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off
many people, and hast sinned [against] thy soul. 11 For the stone shall
cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it. 12
Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by
iniquity! 13 Behold, [is it] not of the LORD of hosts that the people
shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for
very vanity? 14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the
glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
“15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy
bottle to [him], and makest [him] drunken also, that thou mayest look on
their nakedness! 16 Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou
also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD’S right
hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing [shall be] on thy
glory. 17 For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of
beasts, [which] made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the
violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein. 18
What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it;
the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work
trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? 19 Woe unto him that saith to the
wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it [is]
laid over with gold and silver, and [there is] no breath at all in the
midst of it. 20 But the LORD [is] in his holy temple: let all the earth
keep silence before him.” (Habakkuk 2:1-20 AV)