Habakkuk 2
World English Bible
2 I will stand at my watch, and set myself on the ramparts, and will look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
2 Yahweh answered me, “Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he who runs may read it. 3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hurries toward the end, and won’t prove false. Though it takes time, wait for it; because it will surely come. It won’t delay. 4 Behold, his soul is puffed up. It is not upright in him, but the righteous will live by his faith. 5 Yes, moreover, wine is treacherous: an arrogant man who doesn’t stay at home, who enlarges his desire as Sheol;[a] he is like death, and can’t be satisfied, but gathers to himself all nations, and heaps to himself all peoples. 6 Won’t all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases that which is not his, and who enriches himself by extortion! How long?’ 7 Won’t your debtors rise up suddenly, and wake up those who make you tremble, and you will be their victim? 8 Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples will plunder you, because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell in it. 9 Woe to him who gets an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the hand of evil! 10 You have devised shame to your house, by cutting off many peoples, and have sinned against your soul. 11 For the stone will cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the woodwork will answer it. 12 Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity! 13 Behold, isn’t it of Yahweh of Armies that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity? 14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh’s glory, as the waters cover the sea.
15 “Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink, pouring your inflaming wine until they are drunk, so that you may gaze at their naked bodies! 16 You are filled with shame, and not glory. You will also drink, and be exposed! The cup of Yahweh’s right hand will come around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. 17 For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction of the animals, which made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to every city and to those who dwell in them.
18 “What value does the engraved image have, that its maker has engraved it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he who fashions its form trusts in it, to make mute idols? 19 Woe to him who says to the wood, ‘Awake!’ or to the mute stone, ‘Arise!’ Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all within it. 20 But Yahweh is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!”
Footnotes
- 2:5 Sheol is the place of the dead.
Habakkuk 2
International Standard Version
Habakkuk Waits for God’s Answer
2 “I will stand at my guard post
and station myself on a tower.
I will wait and see what the Lord[a] will say about me
and what I[b] will answer when he reprimands me.[c]”
God’s Reply to the Prophet’s Complaint
2 When he answered, the Lord told me:
“Write out the revelation,
engraving it clearly on the tablets,
so that a courier may run with it.[d]
3 For the revelation pertains to an appointed time—
it speaks truthfully[e] about the end.
Though it delays, wait for it,
because it will surely come about—
it will not be late!
4 “Notice their[f] arrogance—
they have no inward uprightness[g]—
but the righteous will live by their faith.
5 Moreover, just as wine leads astray the proud and powerful man,
he[h] remains restless;
he[i] has expanded his appetite—
like the afterlife[j] or death itself, he[k] is never satisfied.
He[l] gathers to himself all of the nations,
taking captive all of the people for himself.”
Judgment on the Plunderer of Nations
6 “Will not all of these ridicule him
with mocking scorn? They will say,
‘Woe to the one who hordes for himself what isn’t his.
How long will you enrich yourself by extortion?’[m]
7 Won’t your creditors revolt unexpectedly?
Won’t those who make you tremble wake up?
As a result, you’ll become their prey!
8 Because you plundered many nations,
all of their remnants will plunder you.
Human blood has been shed,[n]
and violence has been done to[o] the land,
to the city, and to all who live in it.”
Judgment on Those who Think They are Safe
9 “Woe to the one who amasses profit upon unjust profit
in order to establish his household,
so he can establish a secure place[p] on the heights
and escape from the power of evil.
10 You have brought shame to yourself[q] by killing many people—
you are forfeiting your own life.
11 Indeed, the stone will cry out from the wall
and the rafter will respond from the woodwork.”
Judgment on the Lawless
12 “Woe to the one who founds a city upon bloodshed,
and constructs a city by lawlessness.
13 Is it not because of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies
that people grow tired putting out fires,[r]
and nations weary themselves over nothing?
14 Indeed, the earth will be filled
with knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
as water fills[s] the sea.”
Judgment on the Violent
15 “Woe to the one who supplies his neighbor with a drink!
You are forcing your bottle[t] on him,[u]
making him drunk so you can see them naked.
16 You are filled with dishonor instead of glory.
So go ahead,[v] drink and be naked!
The Lord[w] will turn against you,
and utter disgrace will debase your reputation.[x]
17 Indeed, the violence done to Lebanon will overtake you,
and the destruction of the beasts will terrorize you—[y]
because you shed human blood
and did violence to[z] the land, to the city, and to all who live in it.”
Judgment on the Idol Maker
18 “Where is the benefit in owning[aa] a carved image,
that motivates its maker to carve[ab] it?
It is only a cast image—
a teacher that lies—
because the engraver entrusts himself to his carving,
crafting speechless idols.
19 “Woe to the one who says to a tree, ‘Wake up!’
or ‘Arise!’ to a speechless stone.
Idols[ac] like this can’t teach, can they?
Look, even though it is overlaid with gold and silver,
there’s no breath in it at all.”
The Lord’s Final Counsel to Habakkuk
20 “The Lord is in his holy Temple.
All the earth—be quiet in his presence.”
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 2:1 The Heb. lacks the Lord
- Habakkuk 2:1 Syr he
- Habakkuk 2:1 Lit. answer at my reprimand
- Habakkuk 2:2 Or that whoever reads it may run
- Habakkuk 2:3 Lit. speaks without deception
- Habakkuk 2:4 I.e. the Babylonian invaders
- Habakkuk 2:4 Lit. no uprightness of soul
- Habakkuk 2:5 I.e. Babylonian invaders personified in their king
- Habakkuk 2:5 I.e. Babylonian invaders personified in their king
- Habakkuk 2:5 Lit. Sheol; i.e. the realm of the dead
- Habakkuk 2:5 I.e. Babylonian invaders personified in their king
- Habakkuk 2:5 I.e. Babylonian invaders personified in their king
- Habakkuk 2:6 Lit. by loans
- Habakkuk 2:8 The Heb. lacks has been shed
- Habakkuk 2:8 Lit. violence of
- Habakkuk 2:9 Lit. establish his nest
- Habakkuk 2:10 Lit. to your house
- Habakkuk 2:13 Lit. tired for the sufficiency of fire
- Habakkuk 2:14 Lit. covers
- Habakkuk 2:15 Lit. wine skin
- Habakkuk 2:15 The Heb. lacks on him
- Habakkuk 2:16 The Heb. lacks go ahead
- Habakkuk 2:16 Lit. The power of the Lord’s right hand
- Habakkuk 2:16 Lit. will come upon your glory
- Habakkuk 2:17 The Heb. lacks you
- Habakkuk 2:17 Lit. violence of
- Habakkuk 2:18 The Heb. lacks owning
- Habakkuk 2:18 Lit. because its maker carved
- Habakkuk 2:19 Lit. Things
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