Furthermore, (A)wine betrays an (B)arrogant man,
So that he does not (C)achieve his objective.
He (D)enlarges his appetite like Sheol,
And he is like death, never satisfied.
He also gathers to himself all the nations
And collects to himself all the peoples.

“Will all of these not (E)take up a song of ridicule against him,
Even a saying and insinuations against him
And say, ‘(F)Woe to him who increases what is not his—
For how long—
And makes himself [a]rich with debts!’
Will [b]your creditors not (G)rise up suddenly,
And those who [c]collect from you awaken?
Indeed, you will become plunder for them.
Since you have (H)looted many nations,
All the rest of the peoples will loot you—
Because of human bloodshed and violence [d]done to the land,
To the town and all its inhabitants.

“Woe to him who makes (I)evil profit for his household,
To (J)put his nest on high,
To be saved from the hand of catastrophe!
10 You have planned a (K)shameful thing for your house
By bringing many peoples to an end;
So you are (L)sinning against yourself.
11 For the (M)stone will cry out from the wall,
And the rafter will answer it from the [e]framework.

12 “Woe to him who (N)builds a city with bloodshed,
And founds a town with [f]violence!
13 Is it not indeed from the Lord of armies
That peoples (O)labor merely for fire,
And nations become weary for nothing?
14 For the earth will be (P)filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
As the waters cover the sea.

15 “Woe to him who makes his neighbor drink;
[g]To you who mix in your venom even to make your neighbors drunk,
So as to look at their genitalia!
16 You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor.
(Q)Drink, you yourself, and [h]expose your own foreskin!
The (R)cup in the Lords right hand will come around to you,
And (S)utter disgrace will come upon your glory.
17 For the (T)violence [i]done to Lebanon will [j]overwhelm you,
And the devastation of its animals [k]by which you terrified them,
(U)Because of human bloodshed and (V)violence [l]done to the land,
To the town and all its inhabitants.

18 “What (W)benefit is a carved image when its maker has carved it,
Or a cast metal image, a (X)teacher of falsehood?
For its maker (Y)trusts in his own handiwork
When he fashions speechless idols.
19 Woe to him who (Z)says to a piece of wood, ‘(AA)Awake!’
To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’
That is your teacher?
Behold, it is overlaid with (AB)gold and silver,
Yet there is (AC)no breath at all inside it.
20 But the (AD)Lord is in His holy temple.
[m]Let all the earth (AE)be silent before Him.”

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Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 2:6 Lit heavy
  2. Habakkuk 2:7 Lit those who bite you
  3. Habakkuk 2:7 Lit violently shake you
  4. Habakkuk 2:8 Lit of the land
  5. Habakkuk 2:11 Lit wood
  6. Habakkuk 2:12 Lit injustice
  7. Habakkuk 2:15 Another reading is From the cup of your venom
  8. Habakkuk 2:16 Lit show yourself uncircumcised; DSS and ancient versions stagger
  9. Habakkuk 2:17 Lit of Lebanon
  10. Habakkuk 2:17 Lit cover
  11. Habakkuk 2:17 Lit which shattered them
  12. Habakkuk 2:17 Lit of the land
  13. Habakkuk 2:20 Lit Hush before Him, all the earth

indeed, wine(A) betrays him;
    he is arrogant(B) and never at rest.
Because he is as greedy as the grave
    and like death is never satisfied,(C)
he gathers to himself all the nations
    and takes captive(D) all the peoples.

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

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

“Woe to him who builds(K) his house by unjust gain,(L)
    setting his nest(M) on high
    to escape the clutches of ruin!
10 You have plotted the ruin(N) of many peoples,
    shaming(O) your own house and forfeiting your life.
11 The stones(P) 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(Q)
    and establishes a town by injustice!
13 Has not the Lord Almighty determined
    that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire,(R)
    that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?(S)
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory(T) of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.(U)

15 “Woe to him who gives drink(V) 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(W) instead of glory.(X)
    Now it is your turn! Drink(Y) and let your nakedness be exposed[a]!(Z)
The cup(AA) from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you,
    and disgrace will cover your glory.
17 The violence(AB) you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
    and your destruction of animals will terrify you.(AC)
For you have shed human blood;(AD)
    you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

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

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

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Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 2:16 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint) and stagger