Habakkuk 2:4-8

English Standard Version

⁴“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but ^(A)the righteous shall live by his faith.^[a]

⁵“Moreover, wine^[b] is ^(B)a traitor,
    an arrogant man who is never at rest.^[c]
His greed is as wide as Sheol;
    like death ^(C)he has never enough.
^(D)He gathers for himself all nations
    and collects as his own all peoples.”

Woe to the Chaldeans

⁶Shall not all these ^(E)take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say,

^(F)“Woe to him ^(G)who heaps up what is not his own—
    for ^(H)how long?—
    and ^(I)loads himself with pledges!”
⁷^(J)Will not your debtors suddenly arise,
    and those awake who will make you tremble?
    Then you will be spoil for them.
⁸^(K)Because you have plundered many nations,
    all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you,
^(L)for the blood of man and ^(M)violence to the earth,
    to cities and all who dwell in them.

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Footnotes

Habakkuk 2:4 Or faithfulness
Habakkuk 2:5 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll wealth
Habakkuk 2:5 The meaning of the Hebrew of these two lines is uncertain

Habakkuk 2:4-8

New International Version

⁴“See, the enemy is puffed up;
    his desires are not upright—
    but the righteous person^(A) will live by his faithfulness^[a]^(B)—
⁵indeed, wine^(C) betrays him;
    he is arrogant^(D) and never at rest.
Because he is as greedy as the grave
    and like death is never satisfied,^(E)
he gathers to himself all the nations
    and takes captive^(F) all the peoples.

⁶“Will not all of them taunt^(G) him with ridicule and scorn, saying,

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