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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Havakuk (Hab) 2
2
1I will stand at my watchpost;
I will station myself on the rampart.
I will look to see what [God] will say through me
and what I will answer when I am reproved.
2Then Adonai answered me; he said,
“Write down the vision clearly on tablets,
so that even a runner can read it.
3For the vision is meant for its appointed time;
it speaks of the end, and it does not lie.
It may take a while, but wait for it;
it will surely come, it will not delay.
4“Look at the proud: he is inwardly not upright;
but the righteous will attain life through trusting faithfulness.
5Truly, wine is treacherous;
the arrogant will not live at peace
but keeps expanding his desires like Sh’ol;
like death, he can never be satisfied;
he keeps collecting all the nations for himself,
rallying to himself all the peoples.
6Won’t all these take up taunting him
and say about him, in mocking riddles,
‘Woe to him who amasses other people’s wealth! —
how long must it go on? —
and to him who adds to himself the weight
of goods taken in pledge!
7Won’t your own creditors suddenly stand,
won’t those who make you tremble wake up?
You will become their spoil.
8Because you plundered many nations,
all the rest of the peoples will plunder you;
because of the bloodshed and violence done
to the land, the city and all who live there.
9“‘Woe to him who seeks unjust gain for his household,
putting his nest on the heights,
in order to be safe from the reach of harm.
10By scheming to destroy many peoples,
you have brought shame to your house
and forfeited your life.
11For the very stones will cry out from the wall,
and a beam in the framework will answer them.
12“‘Woe to him who builds a city with blood
and founds a town on injustice,
13so that people toil for what will be burned up,
and nations exhaust themselves to no purpose.
Isn’t all this from Adonai-Tzva’ot?
14For the earth will be as full
of the knowledge of Adonai’s glory
as water covering the sea.
15“‘Woe to him who has his neighbor drink,
adds his own poison and makes him drunk,
in order to see him naked.
16You are filled with shame, not glory.
You, drink too, and stagger!
The cup of Adonai’s right hand
will be turned against you;
your shame will exceed your glory.
17For the violence done to the L’vanon
will overwhelm you,
and the destruction of the wild animals
will terrify you;
because of the bloodshed and violence done
to the land, the city and all who live there.’”
18What good is an idol, once its maker has shaped it,
a cast metal image and a teacher of lies,
that its maker puts his trust in it,
and goes on making non-gods, unable to talk?
19Woe to him who tells a piece of wood, “Wake up!”
or a speechless stone, “Rouse yourself!”
Can this thing teach? Why, it’s covered with gold and silver,
without the slightest breath in it!
20But Adonai is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him.
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