Habakkuk 2:6-3:19

New International Version

“‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods
    and makes himself wealthy by extortion!^(B)
    How long must this go on?’
⁷ Will not your creditors suddenly arise?
    Will they not wake up and make you tremble?
    Then you will become their prey.^(C)
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
    the peoples who are left will plunder you.^(D)
For you have shed human blood;^(E)
    you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.^(F)

⁹ “Woe to him who builds^(G) his house by unjust gain,^(H)
    setting his nest^(I) on high
    to escape the clutches of ruin!
¹⁰ You have plotted the ruin^(J) of many peoples,
    shaming^(K) your own house and forfeiting your life.
¹¹ The stones^(L) of the wall will cry out,
    and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

¹² “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed^(M)
    and establishes a town by injustice!
¹³ Has not the Lord Almighty determined
    that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire,^(N)
    that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?^(O)
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory^(P) of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.^(Q)

¹⁵ “Woe to him who gives drink^(R) to his neighbors,
    pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,
    so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!
¹⁶ You will be filled with shame^(S) instead of glory.^(T)
    Now it is your turn! Drink^(U) and let your nakedness be exposed^[a]!^(V)
The cup^(W) from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you,
    and disgrace will cover your glory.
¹⁷ The violence^(X) you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
    and your destruction of animals will terrify you.^(Y)
For you have shed human blood;^(Z)
    you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

¹⁸ “Of what value^(AA) is an idol^(AB) carved by a craftsman?
    Or an image^(AC) that teaches lies?
For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;
    he makes idols that cannot speak.^(AD)
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’
    Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’^(AE)
Can it give guidance?
    It is covered with gold and silver;^(AF)
    there is no breath in it.”^(AG)

²⁰ The Lord is in his holy temple;^(AH)
    let all the earth be silent^(AI) before him.

² Lord, I have heard^(AK) of your fame;
    I stand in awe^(AL) of your deeds, Lord.^(AM)
Repeat^(AN) them in our day,
    in our time make them known;
    in wrath remember mercy.^(AO)

³ God came from Teman,^(AP)
    the Holy One^(AQ) from Mount Paran.^[c](AR)
His glory covered the heavens^(AS)
    and his praise filled the earth.^(AT)
4 His splendor was like the sunrise;^(AU)
    rays flashed from his hand,
    where his power^(AV) was hidden.
⁵ Plague^(AW) went before him;
    pestilence followed his steps.
⁶ He stood, and shook the earth;
    he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled^(AX)
    and the age-old hills^(AY) collapsed^(AZ)—
    but he marches on forever.^(BA)
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
    the dwellings of Midian^(BB) in anguish.^(BC)

⁸ Were you angry with the rivers,^(BD) Lord?
    Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea^(BE)
    when you rode your horses
    and your chariots to victory?^(BF)
9 You uncovered your bow,
    you called for many arrows.^(BG)
You split the earth with rivers;
¹⁰     the mountains saw you and writhed.^(BH)
Torrents of water swept by;
    the deep roared^(BI)
    and lifted its waves^(BJ) on high.

¹¹ Sun and moon stood still^(BK) in the heavens
    at the glint of your flying arrows,^(BL)
    at the lightning^(BM) of your flashing spear.
¹² In wrath you strode through the earth
    and in anger you threshed^(BN) the nations.
¹³ You came out^(BO) to deliver^(BP) your people,
    to save your anointed^(BQ) one.
You crushed^(BR) the leader of the land of wickedness,
    you stripped him from head to foot.
¹⁴ With his own spear you pierced his head
    when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,^(BS)
gloating as though about to devour
    the wretched^(BT) who were in hiding.
¹⁵ You trampled the sea^(BU) with your horses,
    churning the great waters.^(BV)

¹⁶ I heard and my heart pounded,
    my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
    and my legs trembled.^(BW)
Yet I will wait patiently^(BX) for the day of calamity
    to come on the nation invading us.
¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,^(BY)
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,^(BZ)
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,^(CA)
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.^(CB)

¹⁹ The Sovereign Lord is my strength;^(CC)
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    he enables me to tread on the heights.^(CD)

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.