| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. | 1I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. |
| 2And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. | 2Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. |
| 3For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. | 3For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. |
| 4Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. | 4"See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright-- but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness -- |
| 5Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people: | 5indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples. |
| 6Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay! | 6"Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, "'Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?' |
| 7Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them? | 7Will not your creditors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their prey. |
| 8Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein. | 8Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. |
| 9Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil! | 9"Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin! |
| 10Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul. | 10You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. |
| 11For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it. | 11The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it. |
| 12Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! | 12"Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice! |
| 13Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? | 13Has not the LORD Almighty determined that the people's labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? |
| 14For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. | 14For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. |
| 15Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! | 15"Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies! |
| 16Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD'S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory. | 16You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed! The cup from the LORD's right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. |
| 17For 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. | 17The 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. |
| 18What 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? | 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. |
| 19Woe 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. | 19Woe 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." |
| 20But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. | 20The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him. |
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