Habakkuk 2
2
Habakkuk Waits for God’s Response
1I will stand at my guard post
and station myself on the lookout tower.#1Ch 9:27; 2Ch 8:14; Is 21:6–9
I will watch to see what he will say to me#Ps 85:8
and what I should#2:1 Syr reads what he will reply about my complaint.
God’s Second Answer
2The Lord answered me:
Write down this vision;#1Sm 3:1; Ps 89:19; Pr 29:18; Is 1:1
clearly inscribe it on tablets
so one may easily read it.#2:2 Lit one who reads in it may run
3For the vision is yet for the appointed time;#Gn 18:14; 21:2; 2Kg 4:16–17; Dn 8:19; 11:27,29,35
it testifies about the end and will not lie.
Though it delays, wait for it,
since it will certainly come and not be late.#Dn 10:1,14; 11:35; Heb 10:36–37; 2Pt 3:9; Rv 22:10
4Look, his ego is inflated;#2:4 Hb obscure
he is without integrity.
But the righteous one will live by his faith.#2:4 Or faithfulness#Rm 1:17; Gl 3:11
5Moreover, wine#2:5 DSS read wealth betrays;
an arrogant man is never at rest.#2:5 Or man does not endure; Hb obscure
He enlarges his appetite like Sheol,
and like Death he is never satisfied.#Pr 27:20; 30:15–16; Is 5:14
He gathers all the nations to himself;#Is 13:4; 43:9; 66:18; Jr 3:17; Hs 10:10; Jl 3:2,11; Zph 3:8; Zch 12:3; 14:2; Mt 25:32
he collects all the peoples for himself.
The Five Woe Oracles
6Won’t all of these take up a taunt against him,#Is 14:4; Mc 2:4
with mockery and riddles about him?
They will say,
“Woe to him who amasses what is not his —
how much longer?#1Kg 18:21; Ps 82:2; Pr 1:22; Jr 4:14,21; 23:26; 31:22; Hs 8:5 —
and loads himself with goods taken in pledge.”#Dt 24:10–13
7Won’t your creditors suddenly arise,
and those who disturb you wake up?
Then you will become spoil for them.#2Kg 21:14; Is 42:22,24; Jr 49:32
8Since you have plundered many nations,#Is 10:13; Ezk 36:4
all the peoples who remain will plunder you#Zph 3:8 —
because of human bloodshed
and violence#Jr 6:7; Ezk 7:11,23; 8:17; 12:19; 45:9; Mc 6:12; Hab 1:2–3,9; 2:17 against lands, cities,
and all who live in them.#Is 33:1; Jr 25:12,14; Hab 2:17; Rv 13:10
9Woe to him who dishonestly makes
wealth for his house#2:9 Or dynasty#Pr 1:9; 15:27; Jr 6:13; 8:10; Ezk 22:27
to place his nest on high,
to escape the grasp of disaster!#Pr 11:28; Jr 22:13; 49:16; Ob 4; Rv 18:7
10You have planned shame for your house
by wiping out many peoples
and sinning against your own self.
11For the stones will cry out#Lk 19:40 from the wall,
and the rafters will answer them
from the woodwork.
12Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed
and founds a town with injustice!#Ezk 22:2–3; Mc 3:10
13Is it not from the Lord of Armies
that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire
and countries exhaust themselves for nothing?#Jr 51:58
14For the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory,
as the water covers the sea.#Nm 14:21; Ps 33:5; 72:19; 119:64; Is 6:3; 11:9; Jr 23:24
15Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink,
pouring out your wrath#2:15 Or venom
and even making them drunk,
in order to look at their nakedness!
16You will be filled with disgrace instead of glory.
You also — drink,
and expose your uncircumcision!#2:16 DSS, LXX, Aq, Syr, Vg read and stagger
The cup in the Lord’s right hand
will come around to you,
and utter disgrace will cover your glory.#Rv 14:8–10
17For your violence against Lebanon
will overwhelm you;
the destruction of animals will terrify you#2:17 DSS, LXX, Aq, Syr, Tg, Vg; MT reads them
because of your human bloodshed and violence
against lands, cities, and all who live in them.
18What use is a carved idol
after its craftsman carves it?
It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies.
For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it
and makes worthless idols that cannot speak.
19Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up!
or to mute stone: Come alive!
Can it teach?
Look! It may be plated with gold and silver,
yet there is no breath#Ex 32:4; Dt 27:15; Jdg 17:4; Is 30:22; 40:18–20; 44:9–20; Jr 10:14 in it at all.
20But the Lord is in his holy temple;#Ps 11:4
let the whole earth
be silent in his presence.#Zph 1:7; Zch 2:13
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Habakkuk 2: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Habakkuk 2
2
1I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will look forth to see what he will speak with me, and what I shall answer concerning my complaint. 2And Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it. 3For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay.
4Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith. 5Yea, moreover, wine is treacherous, a haughty man, 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. 6Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and that ladeth himself with pledges! 7Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booty unto them? 8Because 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.
9Woe 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! 10Thou hast devised shame to thy house, by cutting off many peoples, and hast sinned against thy soul. 11For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
12Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity! 13Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity? 14For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.
15Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, to thee that addest thy venom, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! 16Thou art filled with shame, and not glory: drink thou also, and be as one uncircumcised; the cup of Jehovah’s right hand shall come round unto thee, and foul shame shall be upon thy glory. 17For 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.
18What 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? 19Woe 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. 20But Jehovah is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
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