Habakkuk 2
2
1I will stand at my watch and set myself on the ramparts, and will look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
2Yahweh answered me, “Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he who runs may read it. 3For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hurries toward the end, and won’t prove false. Though it takes time, wait for it, because it will surely come. It won’t delay. 4Behold, his soul is puffed up. It is not upright in him, but the righteous will live by his faith. 5Yes, moreover, wine is treacherous: an arrogant man who doesn’t stay at home, who enlarges his desire as Sheol;#2:5 Sheol is the place of the dead. he is like death and can’t be satisfied, but gathers to himself all nations and heaps to himself all peoples.
6Won’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?’ 7Won’t your debtors rise up suddenly, and wake up those who make you tremble, and you will be their victim? 8Because 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.
9Woe 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! 10You have devised shame to your house by cutting off many peoples, and have sinned against your soul. 11For the stone will cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the woodwork will answer it.
12Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity! 13Behold, isn’t it from Yahweh of Armies that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity? 14For 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! 16You 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. 17For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction of the animals will terrify you, 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? 19Woe 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. 20But Yahweh is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!”
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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 # 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. # 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; # Hb obscure
he is without integrity.
But the righteous one will live by his faith. # Or faithfulness # Rm 1:17; Gl 3:11
5Moreover, wine # DSS read wealth betrays;
an arrogant man is never at rest. # 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; Jr 4:14,21; 23:26; 31:22; Hs 8:5; Ps 82:2; Pr 1:22 —
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 # Or dynasty # Pr 1:9; 15:27; Jr 6:13; 8:10; Ezk 22:27
to place his nest on high,
to escape from the reach 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 Hosts
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 waters cover 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 # 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! # 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 # 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 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 everyone on earth
be silent in His presence. # Zph 1:7; Zch 2:13
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