Habakkuk 2

Habakkuk Waits for God’s Response

¹I will stand at my guard post

and station myself on the lookout tower. ^a

I will watch to see what he will say to me ^b

and what I should ^c reply about my complaint.

God’s Second Answer

²The Lord answered me:

Write down this vision; ^d

clearly inscribe it on tablets

so one may easily read it. ^e

³For the vision is yet for the appointed time; ^f

it testifies about the end and will not lie.

Though it delays, wait for it,

since it will certainly come and not be late. ^g

⁴Look, his ego is inflated; ^h

he is without integrity.

But the righteous one will live by his faith. ⁱ,^j

⁵Moreover, wine ^k betrays;

an arrogant man is never at rest. ^l

He enlarges his appetite like Sheol,

and like Death he is never satisfied. ^m

He gathers all the nations to himself; ⁿ

he collects all the peoples for himself.

The Five Woe Oracles

⁶Won’t all of these take up a taunt against him, ^o

with mockery and riddles about him?

They will say,

“Woe to him who amasses what is not his —

how much longer? ^p —

and loads himself with goods taken in pledge.” ^q

⁷Won’t your creditors suddenly arise,

and those who disturb you wake up?

Then you will become spoil for them. ^r

⁸Since you have plundered many nations, ^s

all the peoples who remain will plunder you ^t —

because of human bloodshed

and violence ^u against lands, cities,

and all who live in them. ^v

⁹Woe to him who dishonestly makes

wealth for his house ^w,^x

to place his nest on high,

to escape the grasp of disaster! ^y

¹⁰You have planned shame for your house

by wiping out many peoples

and sinning against your own self.

¹¹For the stones will cry out ^z 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! ^aa

¹³Is it not from the Lord of Armies

that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire

and countries exhaust themselves for nothing? ^ab

¹⁴For the earth will be filled

with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory,

as the water covers the sea. ^ac

¹⁵Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink,

pouring out your wrath ^ad

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! ^ae

The cup in the Lord’s right hand

will come around to you,

and utter disgrace will cover your glory. ^af

¹⁷For your violence against Lebanon

will overwhelm you;

the destruction of animals will terrify you ^ag

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 ^ah in it at all.

²⁰But the Lord is in his holy temple; ^ai

let the whole earth

be silent in his presence. ^aj