| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the ramparts. I will watch to see what He will say to me, and how I should answer when corrected. | 1I will stand at my watch post; I will remain stationed on the city wall. I will keep watching, so I can see what he says to me and can know how I should answer when he counters my argument. |
| 2Then the LORD answered me: “Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it. | 2The LORD responded: "Write down this message! Record it legibly on tablets, so the one who announces it may read it easily. |
| 3For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay. | 3For the message is a witness to what is decreed; it gives reliable testimony about how matters will turn out. Even if the message is not fulfilled right away, wait patiently; for it will certainly come to pass--it will not arrive late. |
| 4Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright—but the righteous will live by faith— | 4Look, the one whose desires are not upright will faint from exhaustion, but the person of integrity will live because of his faithfulness. |
| 5and wealth indeed betrays him. He is an arrogant man never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death, he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself and collects all the peoples as his own. | 5Indeed, wine will betray the proud, restless man! His appetite is as big as Sheol's; like death, he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations; he seizes all peoples. |
| 6Will not all of these take up a taunt against him, speaking with mockery and derision: ‘Woe to him who amasses what is not his and makes himself rich with many loans! How long will this go on?’ | 6"But all these nations will someday taunt him and ridicule him with proverbial sayings: 'The one who accumulates what does not belong to him is as good as dead (How long will this go on?)--he who gets rich by extortion!' |
| 7Will not your creditors suddenly arise and those who disturb you awaken? Then you will become their prey. | 7Your creditors will suddenly attack; those who terrify you will spring into action, and they will rob you. |
| 8Because you have plundered many nations, the remnant of the people will plunder you—because of your bloodshed against man and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers. | 8Because you robbed many countries, all who are left among the nations will rob you. You have shed human blood and committed violent acts against lands, cities, and those who live in them. |
| 9Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, to place his nest on high and escape the hand of disaster! | 9The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead. He does this so he can build his nest way up high and escape the clutches of disaster. |
| 10You have plotted shame for your house by cutting off many peoples and forfeiting your life. | 10Your schemes will bring shame to your house. Because you destroyed many nations, you will self-destruct. |
| 11For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will echo it from the woodwork. | 11For the stones in the walls will cry out, and the wooden rafters will answer back. |
| 12Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity! | 12The one who builds a city by bloodshed is as good as dead--he who starts a town by unjust deeds. |
| 13Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain? | 13Be sure of this! The LORD who commands armies has decreed: The nations' efforts will go up in smoke; their exhausting work will be for nothing. |
| 14For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. | 14For recognition of the LORD's sovereign majesty will fill the earth just as the waters fill up the sea. |
| 15Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin until they are drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness! | 15"You who force your neighbor to drink wine are as good as dead--you who make others intoxicated by forcing them to drink from the bowl of your furious anger, so you can look at their genitals. |
| 16You will be filled with shame instead of glory. You too must drink and expose your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD’s right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will cover your glory. | 16But you will become drunk with shame, not majesty. Now it is your turn to drink and expose your uncircumcised foreskin! The cup of wine in the LORD's right hand is coming to you, and disgrace will replace your majestic glory! |
| 17For your violence against Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction of animals will terrify you, because of your bloodshed against men and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers. | 17For you will pay in full for your violent acts against Lebanon; terrifying judgment will come upon you because of the way you destroyed the wild animals living there. You have shed human blood and committed violent acts against lands, cities, and those who live in them. |
| 18What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. | 18What good is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it? What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles? Why would its creator place his trust in it and make such mute, worthless things? |
| 19Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.” | 19The one who says to wood, 'Wake up!' is as good as dead--he who says to speechless stone, 'Awake!' Can it give reliable guidance? It is overlaid with gold and silver; it has no life's breath inside it. |
| 20But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him. | 20But the LORD is in his majestic palace. The whole earth is speechless in his presence!" |
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