Habakkuk 2:5-20
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
5 Moreover, wealth[a] is treacherous;
the arrogant do not endure.
They open their throats wide as Sheol;
like Death they never have enough.
They gather all nations for themselves
and collect all peoples as their own.(A)
The Woes of the Wicked
6 Shall not everyone taunt such people and, with mocking riddles, say about them,
“Alas for you who heap up what is not your own!”
How long will you load yourselves with goods taken in pledge?(B)
7 Will not your own creditors suddenly rise
and those who make you tremble wake up?
Then you will be plunder for them.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
all who survive of the peoples shall plunder you—
because of human bloodshed and violence to the earth,
to cities and all who live in them.(C)
9 “Alas for you who get evil gain for your house,
setting your nest on high
to be safe from the reach of harm!”(D)
10 You have devised shame for your house
by cutting off many peoples;
you have forfeited your life.(E)
11 The very stones will cry out from the wall,
and the rafter will respond from the woodwork.
12 “Alas for you who build a town by bloodshed
and found a city on iniquity!”(F)
13 Is it not from the Lord of hosts
that peoples labor only to feed the flames
and nations weary themselves for nothing?
14 But the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
as the waters cover the sea.(G)
15 “Alas for you who make your neighbors drink,
pouring out your wrath until they are drunk,
in order to gaze on their nakedness!”(H)
16 You will be sated with contempt instead of glory.
Drink, you yourself, and stagger![b]
The cup in the Lord’s right hand
will come around to you,
and shame will come upon your glory!(I)
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you;
the destruction of the animals will terrify you—[c]
because of human bloodshed and violence to the earth,
to cities and all who live in them.(J)
18 What use is an idol
once its maker has shaped it—
a cast image, a teacher of lies?
For its maker trusts in what has been made,
though the product is only an idol that cannot speak!(K)
19 Alas for you who say to the wood, “Wake up!”
to silent stone, “Rouse yourself!”
Can it teach?
See, it is gold and silver plated,
and there is no breath in it at all.(L)
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth keep silence before him!(M)
Habakkuk 2:5-20
New American Standard Bible
5 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.
6 “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!’
7 Will [b]your creditors not (G)rise up suddenly,
And those who [c]collect from you awaken?
Indeed, you will become plunder for them.
8 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.
9 “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 Lord’s 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.”
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 2:6 Lit heavy
- Habakkuk 2:7 Lit those who bite you
- Habakkuk 2:7 Lit violently shake you
- Habakkuk 2:8 Lit of the land
- Habakkuk 2:11 Lit wood
- Habakkuk 2:12 Lit injustice
- Habakkuk 2:15 Another reading is From the cup of your venom
- Habakkuk 2:16 Lit show yourself uncircumcised; DSS and ancient versions stagger
- Habakkuk 2:17 Lit of Lebanon
- Habakkuk 2:17 Lit cover
- Habakkuk 2:17 Lit which shattered them
- Habakkuk 2:17 Lit of the land
- Habakkuk 2:20 Lit Hush before Him, all the earth
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
