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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. 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?’ Won’t your debtors rise up suddenly, and wake up those who make you tremble, and you will be their victim? 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. 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!”

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Footnotes

  1. 2:5 Sheol is the place of the dead.

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