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How much less[a] the defiant;[b]
    the arrogant, treacherous man?
He who broadens his throat like Sheol,
    and who, like death, is not satisfied,
and who gathers to himself all the nations,
    and harvested for himself all the peoples,
    will not succeed.
Shall not all of these take up a taunt against him,
    with ridicule and riddles against him, saying,
‘Woe to him who heaps up what is not his’?
    For how long?
    And, ‘Woe to him who makes himself heavy with pledges’?
Will not your creditors suddenly rise up
    and awaken those who make you tremble?
    Then you shall be as plunder for them.
Because you plundered many nations,
    all the remaining nations will plunder you
on account of the blood of humanity
    and violence against the land,
    and against cities and all who live in them.
Woe to him who obtains profit from evil gain for his house,
    to set his nest on high,
    to be saved from the hand of misfortune!
10 You have plotted shame for your house,
    cutting off many peoples
    and sinning against your life.
11 For the stone will cry out from the wall,
    and the plaster from the wood will answer it.
12 Woe to him who builds a city by bloodguilt,
    and who founds a city by wickedness!
13 Look! Is it not from Yahweh of hosts
    that people labor for mere fire,
    and nations exhaust themselves for mere vanity?
14 For the earth will be filled
    with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh,
    like the waters covering the sea.
15 Woe to him who gives a drink to his neighbors,
    pouring out your wrath and also making them drunk
    in order to see their nakedness!
16 You will be sated with shame rather than glory.
    Drink also yourself, and expose yourself!
The cup of the right hand of Yahweh
    will come around upon you
    and disgrace upon your glory.
17 For the violence of Lebanon will cover you,
    and the destruction of wild animals will shatter them
on account of the blood of humanity,
    and the violence against the land,
    against a city and all the inhabitants in it.
18 What value is an idol
    when its carver has fashioned it,
    a molten idol, a teacher of lies?
For he who fashioned his creation trusts in it,
    though making mute idols!
19 Woe to him who says to the wood, ‘Wake up!’
    And to a lifeless stone, ‘Arise!’
    Can he teach?
Look, it is covered with gold and silver,
    and there is no breath within it.
20 But Yahweh is in his holy temple.
    Let all the earth be silent before him.”

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Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 2:5 Literally “And moreover because”
  2. Habakkuk 2:5 “Defiant” follows the Dead Sea Scrolls (1QpHab)

[a]Yea, moreover, wine is treacherous, a haughty man, [b]that keepeth not at home; who enlargeth his desire as Sheol, and he is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all peoples. Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting [c]proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and that ladeth himself with pledges! Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall [d]bite thee, and awake that shall [e]vex thee, and thou shalt be for booty unto them? Because thou hast plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder thee, because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all that dwell therein.

Woe to him that getteth 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 Thou hast devised shame to thy house, by cutting off many peoples, and hast sinned against thy soul. 11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity! 13 Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity? 14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.

15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, to thee that [f]addest thy [g]venom, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! 16 Thou art filled with shame, and not glory: drink thou also, and [h]be as one uncircumcised; the cup of Jehovah’s right hand shall come round unto thee, and foul shame shall be upon thy glory. 17 For the violence done to Lebanon shall cover thee, and the destruction of the beasts, which made them afraid; because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all that dwell therein.

18 What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he that fashioneth its form trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? 19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. 20 But Jehovah is in his holy temple: [i]let all the earth keep silence before him.

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Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 2:5 Or, And also because his wine . . . he is a haughty man
  2. Habakkuk 2:5 Or, he shall not abide
  3. Habakkuk 2:6 Or, riddle
  4. Habakkuk 2:7 Or, exact usury of thee
  5. Habakkuk 2:7 Or, toss thee to and fro
  6. Habakkuk 2:15 Or, pourest
  7. Habakkuk 2:15 Or, fury
  8. Habakkuk 2:16 Or, let thy foreskin be uncovered
  9. Habakkuk 2:20 Hebrew be silent before him, all the earth.