Unto Habakkuk, waiting for an answer, is shewed that he must walk by faith.

1 ¶ I will standºª upon² my watch,º and setºª me upon² the tower,º and will watchºª to seeºª what² he will sayºª unto me, and what² I shall answerºª when² I am reproved.º 2 And the LORDº answeredºª me, and said,ºª Writeºª the vision,º and make [it] plainºª upon² tables,º that² he may runºª that readethºª it. 3 For² the visionº [is] yet² for an appointed time,º but at the endº it shall speak,ºª and not² lie:ºª though² it tarry,ºª waitºª for it; because² it will surely¹ª come,ºª it will not² tarry.ºª 4 Behold,² his soulº [which] is lifted upºª is not uprightºª² in him: but the justº shall liveºª by his faith.º

The judgment upon the Chaldeans for unsatiableness,

5 ¶ Yea² also, because² he transgressethºª by wine,º [he is] a proudº man,º neither² keepeth at home,ºª who² enlargethºª his desireº as hell,º and [is] as death,º and cannot² be satisfied,ºª but gatherethºª unto² him all² nations,º and heapethºª unto² him all² people:º 6 Shall not² all² these² take upºª a parableº against² him, and a tauntingº proverbº against him, and say,ºª Woeº to him that increasethºª [that which is] not² his! how long?²² and to him that ladethºª² himself with thick clay!º 7 Shall they not² rise upºª suddenlyº that shall biteºª thee, and awakeºª that shall vexºª thee, and thou shalt be² for bootiesº unto them? 8 Because² thou² hast spoiledºª manyº nations,º all² the remnantº of the peopleº shall spoilºª thee; because of men'sº blood,º² and [for] the violenceº of the land,º of the city,º and of all² that dwellºª therein.

for covetousness,

9 ¶ Woeº to him that covetethºª an evilº covetousnessº to his house,º that he may setºª his nestº on high,º that he may be deliveredºª from the powerº² of evil!º 10 Thou hast consultedºª shameº to thy houseº by cutting offºª manyº people,º and hast sinnedºª [against] thy soul.º 11 For² the stoneº shall cry outºª of the wall,º² and the beam² out¹ of the timberº² shall answerºª it.

for cruelty,

12 ¶ Woeº to him that buildethºª a townº with blood,º and stablishethºª a cityº by iniquity!º 13 Behold,² [is it] not² of²² the LORDº of hostsº that the peopleº shall labourºª in the veryº fire,º and the peopleº shall wearyºª themselves for veryº vanity?º 14 For² the earthº shall be filledºª² with the knowledge¹ª² of the gloryº of the LORD,º as the watersº coverºª² the sea.º

for drunkeness,

15 ¶ Woeº unto him that giveth his neighbour¹ drink,ºª² that puttestºª thy bottleº to [him], and makest [him] drunkenºª also,² that² thou mayest lookºª on² their nakedness!º 16 Thou art filledºª with shameº for glory:º² drinkºª thou² also,² and let thy foreskin be uncovered:ºª the cupº of the LORD'Sº right handº shall be turnedºª unto² thee, and shameful spewingº [shall be] on² thy glory.º 17 For² the violenceº of Lebanonº shall coverºª thee, and the spoilº of beasts,º [which] made them afraid,ºª because of men'sº blood,º² and for the violenceº of the land,º of the city,º and of all² that dwellºª therein.

and for idolatry.

18 ¶ What² profitethºª the graven imageº that² the makerºª thereof hath gravenºª it; the molten image,º and a teacherºª of lies,º that² the makerºª of his workº trustethºª therein,² to makeºª dumbº idols?º 19 Woeº unto him that saithºª to the wood,º Awake;ºª to the dumbº stone,º Arise,ºª it² shall teach!ºª Behold,² it² [is] laid¹ª over² with goldº and silver,º and [there is] no² breathº at all² in the midstº of it. 20 But the LORDº [is] in his holyº temple:º let all² the earthº keep silenceºª beforeº² him.