that you (A)will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say:

“How the oppressor has ceased,
The (B)golden[a] city ceased!

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 14:4 Or insolent

you will take up this taunt(A) against the king of Babylon:(B)

How the oppressor(C) has come to an end!
    How his fury[a] has ended!

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 14:4 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.

26 I will (A)feed those who oppress you with their own flesh,
And they shall be drunk with their own (B)blood as with sweet wine.
All flesh (C)shall know
That I, the Lord, am your Savior,
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

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26 I will make your oppressors(A) eat(B) their own flesh;
    they will be drunk on their own blood,(C) as with wine.
Then all mankind will know(D)
    that I, the Lord, am your Savior,(E)
    your Redeemer,(F) the Mighty One of Jacob.(G)

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20 (A)“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you [a]holy apostles and prophets, for (B)God has avenged you on her!”

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 18:20 NU, M saints and apostles

20 “Rejoice over her, you heavens!(A)
    Rejoice, you people of God!
    Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
    with the judgment she imposed on you.”(B)

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16 and saying, ‘Alas, alas, (A)that great city (B)that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!

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16 and cry out:

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(A)
    dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
    and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!(B)

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(A)For her sins [a]have reached to heaven, and (B)God has remembered her iniquities. (C)Render to her just as she rendered [b]to you, and repay her double according to her works; (D)in the cup which she has mixed, (E)mix double for her. (F)In the measure that she glorified herself and lived [c]luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as (G)queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come (H)in one day—death and mourning and famine. And (I)she will be utterly burned with fire, (J)for strong is the Lord God who [d]judges her.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 18:5 NU, M have been heaped up
  2. Revelation 18:6 NU, M omit to you
  3. Revelation 18:7 sensually
  4. Revelation 18:8 NU, M has judged

for her sins are piled up to heaven,(A)
    and God has remembered(B) her crimes.
Give back to her as she has given;
    pay her back(C) double(D) for what she has done.
    Pour her a double portion from her own cup.(E)
Give her as much torment and grief
    as the glory and luxury she gave herself.(F)
In her heart she boasts,
    ‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;[a]
    I will never mourn.’(G)
Therefore in one day(H) her plagues will overtake her:
    death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,(I)
    for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 18:7 See Isaiah 47:7,8.

I saw (A)the woman, drunk (B)with the blood of the saints and with the blood of (C)the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

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I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,(A) the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.

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And I heard the angel of the waters saying:

(A)“You are righteous, [a]O Lord,
The One (B)who is and who [b]was and who is to be,
Because You have judged these things.
For (C)they have shed the blood (D)of saints and prophets,
(E)And You have given them blood to drink.
[c]For it is their just due.”

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 16:5 NU, M omit O Lord
  2. Revelation 16:5 NU, M was, the Holy One
  3. Revelation 16:6 NU, M omit For

Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

“You are just in these judgments,(A) O Holy One,(B)
    you who are and who were;(C)
for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,(D)
    and you have given them blood to drink(E) as they deserve.”

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15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak (A)and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, (B)to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has [a]the mark or (C)the name of the beast, (D)or the number of his name.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 13:17 NU, M the mark, the name

15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship(A) the image to be killed.(B) 16 It also forced all people, great and small,(C) rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,(D) 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,(E) which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.(F)

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17 For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you,
And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid,
Because of men’s blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.

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17 The violence(A) you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
    and your destruction of animals will terrify you.(B)
For you have shed human blood;(C)
    you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

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“Will not all these (A)take up a proverb against him,
And a taunting riddle against him, and say,
‘Woe to him who increases
What is not his—how long?
And to him who loads himself with [a]many pledges’?
Will not [b]your creditors rise up suddenly?
Will they not awaken who oppress you?
And you will become their booty.
(B)Because you have plundered many nations,
All the remnant of the people shall plunder you,
Because of men’s [c]blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.

“Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house,
That he may (C)set his nest on high,
That he may be delivered from the [d]power of disaster!
10 You give shameful counsel to your house,
Cutting off many peoples,
And sin against your soul.
11 For the stone will cry out from the wall,
And the beam from the timbers will answer it.

12 “Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed,
Who establishes a city by iniquity!

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Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 2:6 Syr., Vg. thick clay
  2. Habakkuk 2:7 Lit. those who bite you
  3. Habakkuk 2:8 Or bloodshed
  4. Habakkuk 2:9 Lit. hand of evil

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

“‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods
    and makes himself wealthy by extortion!(B)
    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.(C)
Because you have plundered many nations,
    the peoples who are left will plunder you.(D)
For you have shed human blood;(E)
    you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.(F)

“Woe to him who builds(G) his house by unjust gain,(H)
    setting his nest(I) on high
    to escape the clutches of ruin!
10 You have plotted the ruin(J) of many peoples,
    shaming(K) your own house and forfeiting your life.
11 The stones(L) 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(M)
    and establishes a town by injustice!

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The Prophet’s Question

O Lord, how long shall I cry,
(A)And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, (B)“Violence!”
And You will (C)not save.
Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see [a]trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.
Therefore the law is powerless,
And justice never goes forth.
For the (D)wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

The Lord’s Reply

“Look(E) among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you.
For indeed I am (F)raising up the Chaldeans,
A bitter and hasty (G)nation
Which marches through the breadth of the earth,
To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.
They are terrible and dreadful;
Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.
Their horses also are (H)swifter than leopards,
And more fierce than evening wolves.
Their [b]chargers [c]charge ahead;
Their cavalry comes from afar;
They fly as the (I)eagle that hastens to eat.

“They all come for violence;
Their faces are set like the east wind.
They gather captives like sand.
10 They scoff at kings,
And princes are scorned by them.
They deride every stronghold,
For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it.

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Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 1:3 Or toil
  2. Habakkuk 1:8 Lit. horsemen
  3. Habakkuk 1:8 Lit. spring about

Habakkuk’s Complaint

How long,(A) Lord, must I call for help,
    but you do not listen?(B)
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
    but you do not save?(C)
Why do you make me look at injustice?
    Why do you tolerate(D) wrongdoing?(E)
Destruction and violence(F) are before me;
    there is strife,(G) and conflict abounds.
Therefore the law(H) is paralyzed,
    and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
    so that justice(I) is perverted.(J)

The Lord’s Answer

“Look at the nations and watch—
    and be utterly amazed.(K)
For I am going to do something in your days
    that you would not believe,
    even if you were told.(L)
I am raising up the Babylonians,[a](M)
    that ruthless and impetuous people,
who sweep across the whole earth(N)
    to seize dwellings not their own.(O)
They are a feared and dreaded people;(P)
    they are a law to themselves
    and promote their own honor.
Their horses are swifter(Q) than leopards,
    fiercer than wolves(R) at dusk.
Their cavalry gallops headlong;
    their horsemen come from afar.
They fly like an eagle swooping to devour;
    they all come intent on violence.
Their hordes[b] advance like a desert wind
    and gather prisoners(S) like sand.
10 They mock kings
    and scoff at rulers.(T)
They laugh at all fortified cities;
    by building earthen ramps(U) they capture them.

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Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 1:6 Or Chaldeans
  2. Habakkuk 1:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

19 “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke [a]pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

21 “I was watching; (A)and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, (B)and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

23 “Thus he said:

‘The fourth beast shall be
(C)A fourth kingdom on earth,
Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,
And shall devour the whole earth,
Trample it and break it in pieces.
24 (D)The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
25 (E)He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall (F)persecute[b] the saints of the Most High,
And shall (G)intend to change times and law.
Then (H)the saints shall be given into his hand
(I)For a time and times and half a time.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 7:20 Lit. great things
  2. Daniel 7:25 Lit. wear out

19 “Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns(A) on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully.(B) 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them,(C) 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.(D)

23 “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.(E) 24 The ten horns(F) are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High(G) and oppress his holy people(H) and try to change the set times(I) and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.[a](J)

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 7:25 Or for a year, two years and half a year

38 (A)and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—(B)you are this head of gold.

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38 in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all.(A) You are that head of gold.

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