Hab 2 | HCSB | STEP | I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower . I will watch to see what He will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint .

Habakkuk 2

Habakkuk Waits for God’s Response

1 I 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 ^{▼▼Syr reads what He will} reply about my complaint.

God’s Second Answer

2 The Lord answered me:

Write down this vision; ^d
clearly inscribe it on tablets
so one may easily read it. ^{▼▼Lit one who reads in it may run}
3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time;
it testifies about the end and will not lie.
Though it delays, wait for it,
since it will certainly come and not be late. ^f
4 Look, his ego is inflated; ^{▼▼Hb obscure}
he is without integrity.
But the righteous one will live by his faith. ^{▼▼Or faithfulness
,} ⁱ
5 Moreover, 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: A Hebrew word for either the grave or the realm of the dead}Sheol,
and like Death he is never satisfied. ^m
He gathers all the nations to himself;
he collects all the peoples for himself.

The Five Woe Oracles

6 Won’t all of these take up a taunt against him,
with mockery and riddles about him?
They will say:

Woe to him who amasses what is not his –
how much longer? –
and loads himself with goods taken in pledge. ⁿ
7 Won’t your creditors suddenly arise,
and those who disturb you wake up?
Then you will become spoil for them. ^o
8 Since you have plundered many nations,
all the peoples who remain will plunder you –
because of human bloodshed
and violence against lands, cities,
and all who live in them. ^p

9 Woe to him who dishonestly makes
wealth for his house ^{▼▼Or dynasty}
to place his nest on high,
to escape from the reach of disaster! ^r
10 You have planned shame for your house
by wiping out many peoples
and sinning against your own self.
11 For the stones will cry out ^s from the wall,
and the rafters will answer them
from the woodwork.

12 Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed
and founds a town with injustice! ^t
13 Is it not from the Lord of ^{▼▼Hosts/hosts: Military forces consisting of God's angels, sometimes including the sun, moon, and stars, and occasionally, Israel}Hosts
that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire
and countries exhaust themselves for nothing? ^v
14 For the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory,
as the waters cover the sea. ^w

15 Woe 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!
16 You 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. ^z
17 For 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.

18 What 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.
19 Woe 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 in it at all.

20 But the Lord is in His holy temple;
let everyone on earth
be silent in His presence. ^ab