Habakkuk 1 - Zephaniah 3
Christian Standard Bible
1 The pronouncement(A) that the prophet Habakkuk saw.(B)
Habakkuk’s First Prayer
2 How long,(C) Lord, must I call for help(D)
and you do not listen
or cry out to you about violence(E)
and you do not save?
3 Why do you force me to look at injustice?(F)
Why do you tolerate[a] wrongdoing?
Oppression and violence are right in front of me.
Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.
4 This is why the law is ineffective
and justice never emerges.
For the wicked restrict(G) the righteous;
therefore, justice(H) comes out perverted.
God’s First Answer
5 Look at the nations[b](I) and observe(J)—
be utterly astounded!(K)
For I am doing something in your days
that you will not believe(L)
when you hear about it.(M)
6 Look! I am raising up(N) the Chaldeans,[c]
that bitter,(O) impetuous nation
that marches across the earth’s open spaces
to seize territories not its own.
7 They are fierce(P) and terrifying;
their views of justice and sovereignty
stem from themselves.
8 Their horses are swifter(Q) than leopards(R)
and more fierce[d] than wolves of the night.
Their horsemen charge ahead;
their horsemen come from distant lands.
They fly like eagles, swooping to devour.(S)
9 All of them come to do violence;
their faces(T) are set in determination.[e]
They gather(U) prisoners like sand.(V)
10 They mock(W) kings,
and rulers are a joke to them.
They laugh(X) at every fortress
and build siege ramps to capture(Y) it.
11 Then they sweep(Z) by like the wind
and pass through.
They are guilty;[f] their strength is their god.
Habakkuk’s Second Prayer
12 Are you not from eternity, Lord my God?(AA)
My Holy One,(AB) you[g] will not die.
Lord, you appointed them to execute judgment;
my Rock,(AC) you destined them to punish us.
13 Your eyes(AD) are too pure(AE) to look on evil,
and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous?(AF)
Why are you silent
while one[h] who is wicked swallows up
one[i] who is more righteous than himself?
14 You have made mankind
like the fish of the sea,(AG)
like marine creatures that have no ruler.
15 The Chaldeans pull them all up with a hook,
catch them in their dragnet,(AH)
and gather them in their fishing net;
that is why they are glad and rejoice.
16 That is why they sacrifice to their dragnet
and burn incense to their fishing net,
for by these things their portion is rich
and their food plentiful.(AI)
17 Will they therefore empty their net
and continually slaughter nations without mercy?
Habakkuk Waits for God’s Response
2 I will stand at my guard post
and station myself on the lookout tower.(AJ)
I will watch to see what he will say to me(AK)
and what I should[j] reply about my complaint.
God’s Second Answer
2 The Lord answered me:
Write down this vision;(AL)
clearly inscribe it on tablets
so one may easily read it.[k]
3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time;(AM)
it testifies about the end and will not lie.
Though it delays, wait for it,
since it will certainly come and not be late.(AN)
4 Look, his ego is inflated;[l]
he is without integrity.
But the righteous one will live by his faith.[m](AO)
5 Moreover, wine[n] betrays;
an arrogant man is never at rest.[o]
He enlarges his appetite like Sheol,
and like Death he is never satisfied.(AP)
He gathers all the nations to himself;(AQ)
he collects all the peoples for himself.
The Five Woe Oracles
6 Won’t all of these take up a taunt against him,(AR)
with mockery and riddles about him?
They will say,
“Woe to him who amasses what is not his—
how much longer?(AS)—
and loads himself with goods taken in pledge.”(AT)
7 Won’t your creditors suddenly arise,
and those who disturb you wake up?
Then you will become spoil for them.(AU)
8 Since you have plundered many nations,(AV)
all the peoples who remain will plunder you(AW)—
because of human bloodshed
and violence(AX) against lands, cities,
and all who live in them.(AY)
9 Woe to him who dishonestly makes
wealth for his house[p](AZ)
to place his nest on high,
to escape the grasp of disaster!(BA)
10 You have planned shame for your house
by wiping out many peoples
and sinning against your own self.
11 For the stones will cry out(BB) from the wall,
and the rafters will answer them
from the woodwork.
12 Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed
and founds a town with injustice!(BC)
13 Is it not from the Lord of Armies
that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire
and countries exhaust themselves for nothing?(BD)
14 For the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory,
as the water covers the sea.(BE)
15 Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink,
pouring out your wrath[q]
and even making them drunk,
in order to look at their nakedness!
16 You will be filled with disgrace instead of glory.
You also—drink,
and expose your uncircumcision![r]
The cup in the Lord’s right hand
will come around to you,
and utter disgrace will cover your glory.(BF)
17 For your violence against Lebanon
will overwhelm you;
the destruction of animals will terrify you[s]
because of your human bloodshed and violence
against lands, cities, and all who live in them.
18 What use is a carved idol
after its craftsman carves it?
It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies.
For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it
and makes worthless idols that cannot speak.
19 Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up!
or to mute stone: Come alive!
Can it teach?
Look! It may be plated with gold and silver,
yet there is no breath(BG) in it at all.
Habakkuk’s Third Prayer
3 A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk. According to Shigionoth.[t](BJ)
2 Lord, I have heard the report about you;
Lord, I stand in awe of your deeds.(BK)
Revive your work in these years;
make it known in these years.
In your wrath remember mercy!(BL)
3 God comes from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.(BM)Selah
His splendor covers the heavens,
and the earth is full of his praise.(BN)
4 His brilliance is like light;
rays are flashing from his hand.
This is where his power is hidden.
5 Plague goes before him,
and pestilence follows in his steps.
6 He stands and shakes[u] the earth;(BO)
he looks and startles the nations.
The age-old mountains break apart;
the ancient hills sink down.(BP)
His pathways are ancient.(BQ)
7 I see the tents of Cushan[v] in distress;
the tent curtains of the land of Midian tremble.
8 Are you angry at the rivers, Lord?
Is your wrath against the rivers?
Or is your fury against the sea
when you ride on your horses,
your victorious chariot?(BR)
9 You took the sheath from your bow;
the arrows are ready[w] to be used with an oath.[x](BS)Selah
You split the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains see you and shudder;(BT)
a downpour of water sweeps by.
The deep roars with its voice(BU)
and lifts its waves[y] high.
11 Sun and moon stand still in their lofty residence,(BV)
at the flash of your flying arrows,
at the brightness of your shining spear.
12 You march across the earth with indignation;
you trample down the nations in wrath.(BW)
13 You come out to save your people,(BX)
to save your anointed.[z]
You crush the leader of the house of the wicked
and strip him from foot[aa] to neck.Selah
14 You pierce his head
with his own spears;
his warriors storm out to scatter us,
gloating as if ready to secretly devour the weak.
15 You tread the sea with your horses,
stirring up the vast water.(BY)
Habakkuk’s Confidence in God Expressed
16 I heard, and I trembled within;(BZ)
my lips quivered at the sound.
Rottenness entered my bones;
I trembled where I stood.
Now I must quietly wait for the day of distress(CA)
to come against the people invading us.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there is no fruit on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though the flocks disappear from the pen
and there are no herds in the stalls,
18 yet I will celebrate in the Lord;
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!(CB)
19 The Lord my Lord is my strength;(CC)
he makes my feet like those of a deer(CD)
and enables me to walk on mountain heights!(CE)
For the choir director: on[ab] stringed instruments.
1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah,(CF) in the days of Josiah(CG) son of Amon,(CH) king of Judah.
The Great Day of the Lord
2 I will completely sweep away everything
from the face of the earth(CI)—
this is the Lord’s declaration.
3 I will sweep away people and animals;(CJ)
I will sweep away the birds of the sky
and the fish of the sea,
and the ruins[ac] along with the wicked.(CK)
I will cut off mankind
from the face of the earth.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
4 I will stretch out my hand(CL) against Judah
and against all the residents of Jerusalem.
I will cut off every vestige of Baal(CM)
from this place,
the names of the pagan priests(CN)
along with the priests;
5 those who bow in worship on the rooftops(CO)
to the stars in the sky;
those who bow and pledge loyalty to the Lord(CP)
but also pledge loyalty to Milcom;[ad](CQ)
6 and those who turn back from following the Lord,
who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.
7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord God,(CR)
for the day of the Lord is near.(CS)
Indeed, the Lord has prepared a sacrifice;(CT)
he has consecrated his guests.(CU)
8 On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
I will punish the officials, the king’s sons,
and all who are dressed in foreign clothing.
9 On that day(CV) I will punish
all who skip over the threshold,[ae](CW)
who fill their master’s house
with violence and deceit.
10 On that day—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
there will be an outcry from the Fish Gate,(CX)
a wailing from the Second District,(CY)
and a loud crashing from the hills.
11 Wail, you residents of the Hollow,[af]
for all the merchants[ag] will be silenced;
all those loaded with silver will be cut off.
12 And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
and punish those who settle down comfortably,[ah](CZ)
who say to themselves:
The Lord will do nothing—good or bad.(DA)
13 Their wealth will become plunder
and their houses a ruin.
They will build houses but never live in them,
plant vineyards but never drink their wine.(DB)
14 The great day of the Lord is near,(DC)
near and rapidly approaching.
Listen, the day of the Lord—
then the warrior’s cry is bitter.
15 That day is a day of wrath,
a day of trouble and distress,
a day of destruction and desolation,
a day of darkness(DD) and gloom,
a day of clouds and total darkness,(DE)
16 a day of ram’s horn and battle cry
against the fortified cities,
and against the high corner towers.
17 I will bring distress on mankind,
and they will walk like the blind(DF)
because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their flesh like dung.
18 Their silver and their gold
will be unable to rescue them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath.(DG)
The whole earth will be consumed
by the fire of his jealousy,(DH)
for he will make a complete,
yes, a horrifying end
of all the inhabitants of the earth.
A Call to Repentance
2 Gather yourselves together;
gather together, undesirable[ai] nation,
2 before the decree(DI) takes effect
and the day passes like chaff,
before the burning of the Lord’s anger(DJ) overtakes you,
before the day of the Lord’s anger overtakes you.(DK)
3 Seek the Lord,(DL) all you humble(DM) of the earth,
who carry out what he commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility;
perhaps you will be concealed(DN)
on the day of the Lord’s anger.
Judgment against the Nations
4 For Gaza will be abandoned,
and Ashkelon will become a ruin.
Ashdod will be driven out at noon,
and Ekron will be uprooted.(DO)
5 Woe, inhabitants of the seacoast,
nation of the Cherethites
The word of the Lord is against you,(DQ)
Canaan, land of the Philistines:
I will destroy you until there is no one left.(DR)
6 The seacoast will become pasturelands
with caves for shepherds and pens for sheep.
7 The coastland will belong
to the remnant of the house of Judah;
they will find pasture there.
They will lie down in the evening
among the houses of Ashkelon,
for the Lord their God will return to them
and restore their fortunes.(DS)
8 I have heard the taunting(DT) of Moab
and the insults of the Ammonites,(DU)
who have taunted my people
and threatened their territory.
9 Therefore, as I live—
this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel—
Moab will be like Sodom(DV)
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah:(DW)
a place overgrown with weeds,
a salt pit, and a perpetual wasteland.
The remnant of my people will plunder them;
the remainder of my nation will dispossess them.
10 This is what they get for their pride,
because they have taunted and acted arrogantly(DX)
against the people of the Lord of Armies.
11 The Lord will be terrifying to them
when he starves all the gods of the earth.
Then all the distant coasts and islands of the nations
will bow in worship to him,
each in its own place.
12 You Cushites will also be slain by my sword.(DY)
13 He will also stretch out his hand against the north
and destroy Assyria;
he will make Nineveh a desolate ruin,(DZ)
dry as the desert.
14 Herds will lie down in the middle of it,
every kind of wild animal.[ak]
Both eagle owls[al] and herons[am]
will roost in the capitals of its pillars.
Their calls will sound[an] from the window,
but devastation[ao] will be on the threshold,
for he will expose the cedar work.[ap]
15 This is the jubilant(EA) city
that lives in security,
that says to herself:
I exist, and there is no one else.
What a desolation she has become,
a place for wild animals to lie down!
Everyone who passes by her
scoffs[aq] and shakes his fist.
Woe to Oppressive Jerusalem
3 Woe to the city that is rebellious[ar](EB) and defiled,(EC)
the oppressive city!
2 She has not obeyed;(ED)
she has not accepted discipline.(EE)
She has not trusted(EF) in the Lord;
she has not drawn near to her God.
3 The[as] princes within her are roaring lions;(EG)
her judges are wolves of the night,(EH)
which leave nothing for[at] the morning.
4 Her prophets are reckless(EI)—
treacherous men.
Her priests profane the sanctuary;
they do violence to instruction.(EJ)
5 The righteous Lord is in her;(EK)
he does no wrong.(EL)
He applies his justice morning by morning;
he does not fail at dawn,
yet the one who does wrong knows no shame.(EM)
6 I have cut off nations;
their corner towers(EN) are destroyed.
I have laid waste their streets,
with no one to pass through.
Their cities lie devastated,
without a person, without an inhabitant.(EO)
7 I said: You will certainly fear me
and accept correction.
Then her dwelling place[au]
would not be cut off
based on all that I had allocated to her.
However, they became more corrupt
in all their actions.
8 Therefore, wait for me(EP)—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
until the day I rise up for plunder.[av]
For my decision is to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
in order to pour out my indignation(EQ) on them,
all my burning anger;
for the whole earth will be consumed
by the fire of my jealousy.(ER)
Final Restoration Promised
9 For I will then restore
pure(ES) speech to the peoples
so that all of them may call
on the name of the Lord
and serve him with a single purpose.[aw]
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush(ET)
my supplicants, my dispersed people,
will bring an offering to me.
11 On that day you[ax] will not be put to shame(EU)
because of everything you have done
in rebelling(EV) against me.
For then I will remove
from among you your jubilant,(EW) arrogant people,
and you will never again be haughty
on my holy mountain.(EX)
12 I will leave
a meek and humble people(EY) among you,
and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord.
13 The remnant(EZ) of Israel will no longer
do wrong or tell lies;
a deceitful tongue will not be found
in their mouths.
They will pasture and lie down,
with nothing to make them afraid.(FA)
14 Sing for joy, Daughter Zion;
shout loudly, Israel!
Be glad and celebrate with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has removed your punishment;
he has turned back your enemy.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is among you;
you need no longer fear harm.
16 On that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear;
Zion, do not let your hands grow weak.(FB)
17 The Lord your God is among you,
a warrior(FC) who saves.
He will rejoice over you(FD) with gladness.
He will be quiet[ay] in his love.
He will delight in you with singing.”(FE)
18 I will gather those who have been driven(FF)
from the appointed festivals;
they will be a tribute from you[az]
and a reproach on her.[ba]
19 Yes, at that time
I will deal with all who oppress you.
I will save the lame(FG) and gather the outcasts;(FH)
I will make those who were disgraced
throughout the earth
receive praise and fame.
20 At that time I will bring you[bb] back,
yes, at the time I will gather you.
I will give you fame and praise
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes(FI) before your eyes.
The Lord has spoken.
Footnotes
- 1:3 Lit observe, also in v. 13
- 1:5 DSS, LXX, Syr read Look, you treacherous people
- 1:6 = the Babylonians
- 1:8 Or and quicker
- 1:9 Hb obscure
- 1:11 Or wind, and transgress and incur guilt
- 1:12 Alt Hb tradition reads we
- 1:13 = Babylon
- 1:13 = Judah
- 2:1 Syr reads what he will
- 2:2 Lit one who reads in it may run
- 2:4 Hb obscure
- 2:4 Or faithfulness
- 2:5 DSS read wealth
- 2:5 Or man does not endure; Hb obscure
- 2:9 Or dynasty
- 2:15 Or venom
- 2:16 DSS, LXX, Aq, Syr, Vg read and stagger
- 2:17 DSS, LXX, Aq, Syr, Tg, Vg; MT reads them
- 3:1 Perhaps a passionate song with rapid changes of rhythm, or a dirge
- 3:6 Or surveys
- 3:7 = Midian
- 3:9 Or set
- 3:9 Hb obscure
- 3:10 Lit hands
- 3:13 The Davidic king or the nation of Israel
- 3:13 Lit foundation
- 3:19 Lit on my
- 1:3 Perhaps objects connected with idolatry
- 1:5 Some LXX mss, Syr, Vg; MT, other LXX mss read their king
- 1:9 Hb obscure
- 1:11 Or the market district
- 1:11 Or Canaanites
- 1:12 Lit who thicken on their dregs
- 2:1 Or shameless
- 2:5 = Sea Peoples
- 2:14 Lit every wild animal of a nation
- 2:14 Or the pelicans
- 2:14 Or the hedgehogs
- 2:14 Lit sing
- 2:14 LXX, Vg read ravens
- 2:14 Hb obscure
- 2:15 Or hisses
- 3:1 Or filthy
- 3:3 Lit Her
- 3:3 Or that had nothing to gnaw in
- 3:7 LXX, Syr read her eyes
- 3:8 LXX, Syr read for a witness; Vg reads up forever
- 3:9 Lit with one shoulder
- 3:11 = Israel
- 3:17 LXX, Syr read He will renew you
- 3:18 = Jerusalem
- 3:18 Hb obscure
- 3:20 = people of Israel
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