Habakkuk 2

Habakkuk Waits for God’s Response

1I will stand at my guard post

and station myself on the lookout tower. # 2:1 1Ch 9:27; 2Ch 8:14; Is 21:6–9

I will watch to see what he will say to me # 2:1 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; # 2:2 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; # 2:3 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. # 2:3 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,# 2:4 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. # 2:5 Pr 27:20; 30:15–16; Is 5:14

He gathers all the nations to himself; # 2:5 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, # 2:6 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? # 2:6 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.” # 2:6 Dt 24:10–13

7Won’t your creditors suddenly arise,

and those who disturb you wake up?

Then you will become spoil for them. # 2:7 2Kg 21:14; Is 42:22,24; Jr 49:32

8Since you have plundered many nations, # 2:8 Is 10:13; Ezk 36:4

all the peoples who remain will plunder you # 2:8 Zph 3:8 —

because of human bloodshed

and violence # 2:8 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. # 2:8 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,# 2:9 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! # 2:9 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 # 2:11 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! # 2:12 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? # 2:13 Jr 51:58

14For the earth will be filled

with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory,

as the water covers the sea. # 2:14 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. # 2:15–16 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 # 2:19 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; # 2:20 Ps 11:4

let the whole earth

be silent in his presence. # 2:20 Zph 1:7; Zch 2:13

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Chabakuk 2

1I will stand upon my watch,

and set me upon the matzor (rampart),

and will watch to see what Hashem will speak to me,

and what He shall answer to my tokhakhah (complaint).

2And Hashem answered me, and said:

Write the chazon,

and make it plain upon tablets,

so that a herald may run with it.

3For the chazon is yet for a mo'ed (an appointed time);

it speaks of HaKetz (the End), and does not lie;

though it tarry, wait for him;#2:3 Moshiach — see Sanhedrin 97b

because he will surely come, and will not tarry.

4Hinei, his nashamah which is puffed up is not upright in him;

but the tzaddik shall live by his emunah.#2:4 Gn 15:6

5Yea also, yayin is a boged (betrayer, treacherous);

he is a proud man, never at rest,

who enlargeth his appetite as Sheol;

like Mavet, it cannot be satisfied,

but gathereth unto it kol HaGoyim,

and collecteth unto it kol HaAmim;

6Shall not all these take up a mashal against such,

with mocking poem riddles against him,

and say: Hoy (Woe) to him that increaseth that which is not his!

For how long? And to him that loadeth himself by the weight of pledges!#2:6 i.e., heaps up by borrowing

7Shall not thy biters (charging neshekh) arise suddenly

and awake that shall oppress thee,

and thou shalt be for plunder unto them?

8Because thou hast plundered many Goyim,

all the remnant of the Amim shall plunder thee;

because of [shefach] dahm, and for the chamas eretz,

the city, and of all that dwell therein.

9Hoy (Woe) to him that coveteth an evil gain for his bais,

that he may set his ken (nest) on high,

that he may be delivered from the power of ruin!

10Thy counsel hast brought shame to thy bais

by cutting off amim rabbim and hast sinned against thy nashamah.

11For the even (stone) shall cry out of the wall,

and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

12Hoy (Woe) to him that buildeth a town with [shefach] dahm,

and foundeth a city by iniquity!

13Hinei, is it not from Hashem Tzva'os

that the people shall labor only to feed the eish,

and the people shall weary themselves in vain?

14For the earth shall be filled with the da'as of the kavod Hashem,

as the waters cover the yam.

15Hoy (Woe) unto him that giveth his neighbor drink,

pressing thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also,

that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

16Thou art filled with shame instead of kavod;

drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered;

the kos of Hashemʼs right hand shall be turned against thee,

and utter shame shall be on thy kavod.

17For the chamas of the Levanon shall cover thee,

and the decimation of animals, by which you terrorized them,

because of [shefach] dahm, and for the chamas eretz,

and to the city, and all that dwell therein.

18What profiteth the pesel (graven image)

that the maker thereof hath shaped it;

the molten image, and moreh sheker,

that the maker of his work trusteth therein,

to make dumb elilim (idols)?

19Hoy (woe) unto him that saith to the wood: Awake;

to the dumb even (stone): Arise, it shall teach!

Hinei, it is laid over with zahav and kesef,

and there is no ruach at all in it.

20But Hashem is in His Heikhal Kodesh;

let kol ha'aretz keep silence before Him.

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