The Righteous Will Live by Faith
- and station myself on the rampart.
- And I will keep watch to see what he will say to me,
- and what he will answer concerning my complaint.
- 2 “Write the vision and make it plain on the tablet
- so that[fn]
- 3 there is yet a vision for the appointed time; it will give witness to the end, and it will not lie.
- If it tarries, wait for it,
- for it will surely come and not delay.
- 4 it is not upright.
- But the righteous shall live by his faithfulness.
- 5 [fn] the defiant;[fn] the arrogant, treacherous man?
- He who broadens his throat like Sheol,
- and who, like death, is not satisfied,
- and who gathers to himself all the nations,
- and harvested for himself all the peoples,
- will not succeed.
- 6 with ridicule and riddles against him, saying,
- ‘Woe to him who heaps up what is not his’?
- For how long?
- And, ‘ Woe to him who makes himself heavy with pledges’?
- 7 and awaken those who make you tremble?
- Then you shall be as plunder for them.
- 8 all the remaining nations will plunder you
- on account of the blood of humanity
- and violence against the land,
- and against cities and all who live in them.
- 9 him who obtains profit from evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high,
- to be saved from the hand of misfortune!
- 10 cutting off many peoples
- and sinning against your life.
- 11 and the plaster from the wood will answer it.
- 12 him who builds a city by bloodguilt, and who founds a city by wickedness!
- 13 Is it not from Yahweh of hosts that people labor for mere fire,
- and nations exhaust themselves for mere vanity?
- 14 with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh,
- like the waters covering the sea.
- 15 him who gives a drink to his neighbors, pouring out your wrath and also making them drunk
- in order to see their nakedness!
- 16 Drink also yourself, and expose yourself!
- The cup of the right hand of Yahweh
- will come around upon you
- and disgrace upon your glory.
- 17 the violence of Lebanon will cover you, and the destruction of wild animals will shatter them
- on account of the blood of humanity,
- and the violence against the land,
- against a city and all the inhabitants in it.
- 18 is an idol when its carver has fashioned it,
- a molten idol, a teacher of lies?
- For he who fashioned his creation trusts in it,
- though making mute idols!
- 19 him who says to the wood, ‘Wake up!’ And to a lifeless stone, ‘Arise!’
- Can he teach?
- Look, it is covered with gold and silver,
- and there is no breath within it.
- 20 is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him.”