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.”