Habakkuk 2:17–20

17 The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,

and your destruction of animals will terrify you.

For you have shed human blood;

you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

18 “Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman?

Or an image that teaches lies?

For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;

he makes idols that cannot speak.

19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’

Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’

Can it give guidance?

It is covered with gold and silver;

there is no breath in it.”

20 The Lord is in his holy temple;

let all the earth be silent before him.

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.

17 You cut down the forests of Lebanon.

Now you will be cut down.

You destroyed the wild animals,

so now their terror will be yours.

You committed murder throughout the countryside

and filled the towns with violence.

18 “What good is an idol carved by man,

or a cast image that deceives you?

How foolish to trust in your own creation—

a god that can’t even talk!

19 What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols,

‘Wake up and save us!’

To speechless stone images you say,

‘Rise up and teach us!’

Can an idol tell you what to do?

They may be overlaid with gold and silver,

but they are lifeless inside.

20 But the Lord is in his holy Temple.

Let all the earth be silent before him.”

17 For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you,

And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid,

Because of men’s blood

And the violence of the land and the city,

And of all who dwell in it.

18 “What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it,

The molded image, a teacher of lies,

That the maker of its mold should trust in it,

To make mute idols?

19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’

To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’

Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,

Yet in it there is no breath at all.

20 “But the Lord is in His holy temple.

Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

17 You hurt many people in Lebanon,

but now you will be hurt.

You killed many animals there,

and now you must be afraid

because of what you did

to that land, those cities, and the people who lived in them.

18 “An idol does no good, because a human made it;

it is only a statue that teaches lies.

The one who made it expects his own work to help him,

but he makes idols that can’t even speak!

19 How terrible it will be for the one who says to a wooden statue, ‘Come to life!’

How terrible it will be for the one who says to a silent stone, ‘Get up!’

It cannot tell you what to do.

It is only a statue covered with gold and silver;

there is no life in it.

20 The Lord is in his Holy Temple;

all the earth should be silent in his presence.”

17 For the violence done to Lebanon shall cover thee, and the destruction of the beasts, which made them afraid; because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all that dwell therein.

18 What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he that fashioneth its form trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? 19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. 20 But Jehovah is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.

17 For the violence done to Lebanon shall cover thee, and the destruction of beasts which made them afraid; because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city, and all that dwell therein. 18 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it? the molten image, and the teacher of falsehood, that the maker of his work dependeth thereon, to make dumb idols? 19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake! to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall it teach? Behold it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. 20 But Jehovah is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him!

17 The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, 

and the destruction done to the animals will terrify you 

because of the slaughter and violence done 

to lands, cities, and all their inhabitants. 

18 “What benefit is there in a carved idol 

when its maker has carved it? 

What benefit is there in a molded statue, a teacher of lies, 

when its maker has molded it? 

The one who formed it trusts himself 

to make worthless idols that cannot speak. 

19 ‘How horrible it will be for the one 

who says to a piece of wood, “Wake up!” 

and to a stone that cannot talk, “Get up!” ’ 

Can that thing teach ⸤anyone⸥? 

Just look at it! 

It’s covered with gold and silver, 

but there’s absolutely no life in it.” 

20 The Lord is in his holy temple. 

All the earth should be silent in his presence. 

17 For your violence against Lebanon

will overwhelm you;

the destruction of animals will terrify you

because of your human bloodshed and violence

against lands, cities, and all who live in them.

18 What use is a carved idol

after its craftsman carves it?

It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies.

For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it

and makes idols that cannot speak.

19 Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up!

or to mute stone: Come alive!

Can it teach?

Look! It may be plated with gold and silver,

yet there is no breath in it at all.

20 But the Lord is in His holy temple;

let everyone on earth

be silent in His presence.

17 For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you;

the destruction of the animals will terrify you—

because of human bloodshed and violence to the earth,

to cities and all who live in them.

18 What use is an idol

once its maker has shaped it—

a cast image, a teacher of lies?

For its maker trusts in what has been made,

though the product is only an idol that cannot speak!

19 Alas for you who say to the wood, “Wake up!”

to silent stone, “Rouse yourself!”

Can it teach?

See, it is gold and silver plated,

and there is no breath in it at all.

20 But the Lord is in his holy temple;

let all the earth keep silence before him!

17 For 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 What value 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 Woe to 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 But Yahweh is in his holy temple.

Let all the earth be silent before him.”

17 The harm they have done to Lebanon

will bring them down.

Because they have killed so many animals,

animals will terrify them.

They have spilled man’s blood.

They have destroyed lands and cities

and everyone in them.

18 “If someone carves a statue of a god, what is it worth?

What value is there in a god

that teaches lies?

The one who trusts in another god

worships his own creation.

He makes statues of gods that can’t speak.

19 How terrible it will be for the Babylonians!

They say to a wooden god, ‘Come to life!’

They say to a stone god, ‘Wake up!’

Can those gods give advice?

They are covered with gold and silver.

They can’t even breathe.

20 But I am in my holy temple.

Let the whole earth be silent in front of me.”

17 “For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,

And the devastation of its beasts by which you terrified them,

Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land,

To the town and all its inhabitants.

18 “What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it,

Or an image, a teacher of falsehood?

For its maker trusts in his own handiwork

When he fashions speechless idols.

19 “Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’

To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’

And that is your teacher?

Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,

And there is no breath at all inside it.

20 “But the Lord is in His holy temple.

Let all the earth be silent before Him.”