Habakkuk 2:4-9

Good News Translation

⁴^(A)And this is the message: ‘Those who are evil will not survive,^[a] but those who are righteous will live because they are faithful to God.’”

Doom on the Unrighteous

⁵Wealth is deceitful. Greedy people are proud and restless—like death itself they are never satisfied. That is why they conquer nation after nation for themselves. ⁶The conquered people will taunt their conquerors and show their scorn for them. They will say, “You take what isn't yours, but you are doomed! How long will you go on getting rich by forcing your debtors to pay up?”

⁷But before you know it, you that have conquered others will be in debt yourselves and be forced to pay interest. Enemies will come and make you tremble. They will plunder you! ⁸You have plundered the people of many nations, but now those who have survived will plunder you because of the murders you have committed and because of your violence against the people of the world and its cities.^[b]

⁹You are doomed! You have made your family rich with what you took by violence, and have tried to make your own home safe from harm and danger!

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Footnotes

Habakkuk 2:4 Probable text will not survive; Hebrew unclear.
Habakkuk 2:8 the people … cities; or the land, the city, and those who live in it.

Habakkuk 2:4-9

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)