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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.

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

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)
Will not your own creditors suddenly rise
    and those who make you tremble wake up?
    Then you will be plunder for them.
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)

“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)

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Footnotes

  1. 2.5 Q mss: MT wine
  2. 2.16 Q ms Gk: MT be uncircumcised
  3. 2.17 Gk Syr: Heb terrify them