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Habakkuk 2
New International Version

2 I will stand at my watch(A)
and station myself on the ramparts;(B)
I will look to see what he will say(C) to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint.[a](D)

### The Lord’s Answer

2 Then the Lord replied:

“Write(E) down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald[b] may run with it.
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;(F)
it speaks of the end(G)
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait(H) for it;
it[c] will certainly come
and will not delay.(I)

4 “See, the enemy is puffed up;
his desires are not upright—
but the righteous person(J) will live by his faithfulness[d](K)—
5 indeed, wine(L) betrays him;
he is arrogant(M) and never at rest.
Because he is as greedy as the grave
and like death is never satisfied,(N)
he gathers to himself all the nations
and takes captive(O) all the peoples.

6 “Will not all of them taunt(P) him with ridicule and scorn, saying,

“‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods
and makes himself wealthy by extortion!(Q)
How long must this go on?’
7 Will not your creditors suddenly arise?
Will they not wake up and make you tremble?
Then you will become their prey.(R)
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
the peoples who are left will plunder you.(S)
For you have shed human blood;(T)
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.(U)

9 “Woe to him who builds(V) his house by unjust gain,(W)
setting his nest(X) on high
to escape the clutches of ruin!
10 You have plotted the ruin(Y) of many peoples,
shaming(Z) your own house and forfeiting your life.
11 The stones(AA) of the wall will cry out,
and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

12 “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed(AB)
and establishes a town by injustice!
13 Has not the Lord Almighty determined
that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire,(AC)
that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?(AD)
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory(AE) of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.(AF)

15 “Woe to him who gives drink(AG) to his neighbors,
pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,
so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!
16 You will be filled with shame(AH) instead of glory.(AI)
Now it is your turn! Drink(AJ) and let your nakedness be exposed[e]!(AK)
The cup(AL) from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you,
and disgrace will cover your glory.
17 The violence(AM) you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
and your destruction of animals will terrify you.(AN)
For you have shed human blood;(AO)
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

18 “Of what value(AP) is an idol(AQ) carved by a craftsman?
Or an image(AR) that teaches lies?
For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;
he makes idols that cannot speak.(AS)
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’
Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’(AT)
Can it give guidance?
It is covered with gold and silver;(AU)
there is no breath in it.”(AV)

20 The Lord is in his holy temple;(AW)
let all the earth be silent(AX) before him.

#### Footnotes

1. Habakkuk 2:1 Or and what to answer when I am rebuked
2. Habakkuk 2:2 Or so that whoever reads it
3. Habakkuk 2:3 Or Though he linger, wait for him; / he
4. Habakkuk 2:4 Or faith
5. Habakkuk 2:16 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint) and stagger

#### Cross references

1. Habakkuk 2:1 : S Isa 21:8
2. Habakkuk 2:1 : S Ps 48:13
3. Habakkuk 2:1 : Ps 85:8
4. Habakkuk 2:1 : S Ps 5:3; S Eze 3:17
5. Habakkuk 2:2 : S Isa 30:8; S Jer 36:2; S Eze 24:2; S Ro 4:24; Rev 1:19
6. Habakkuk 2:3 : Da 11:27
7. Habakkuk 2:3 : Da 8:17
8. Habakkuk 2:3 : S Ps 27:14
9. Habakkuk 2:3 : S Eze 12:25
10. Habakkuk 2:4 : S Eze 18:9
11. Habakkuk 2:4 : Ro 1:17*; Gal 3:11*; Heb 10:37-38*
12. Habakkuk 2:5 : S Pr 20:1
13. Habakkuk 2:5 : S Isa 2:11
14. Habakkuk 2:5 : S Pr 27:20; S 30:15-16
15. Habakkuk 2:5 : Hab 1:9
16. Habakkuk 2:6 : S Isa 14:4
17. Habakkuk 2:6 : Am 2:8
18. Habakkuk 2:7 : S Pr 29:1
19. Habakkuk 2:8 : Isa 33:1; Jer 50:17-18; S Ob 1:15; Zec 2:8-9
20. Habakkuk 2:8 : ver 17
21. Habakkuk 2:8 : S Eze 39:10
22. Habakkuk 2:9 : S Jer 22:13
23. Habakkuk 2:9 : S Jer 51:13
24. Habakkuk 2:9 : S Job 39:27; S Isa 10:14
25. Habakkuk 2:10 : Jer 26:19
26. Habakkuk 2:10 : ver 16; S Na 3:6
27. Habakkuk 2:11 : S Jos 24:27; Zec 5:4; Lk 19:40
28. Habakkuk 2:12 : S Eze 22:2; S Mic 3:10
29. Habakkuk 2:13 : Isa 50:11
30. Habakkuk 2:13 : S Isa 47:13
31. Habakkuk 2:14 : S Ex 16:7; S Nu 14:21
32. Habakkuk 2:14 : S Isa 11:9
33. Habakkuk 2:15 : S Pr 23:20
34. Habakkuk 2:16 : S ver 10
35. Habakkuk 2:16 : S Eze 23:32-34; Hos 4:7
36. Habakkuk 2:16 : S Lev 10:9
37. Habakkuk 2:16 : S La 4:21
38. Habakkuk 2:16 : S Ps 16:5; S Isa 51:22
39. Habakkuk 2:17 : S Jer 51:35
40. Habakkuk 2:17 : S Jer 50:15
41. Habakkuk 2:17 : ver 8
42. Habakkuk 2:18 : S 1Sa 12:21
43. Habakkuk 2:18 : S Jdg 10:14; S Isa 40:19; S Jer 5:21; S 14:22
44. Habakkuk 2:18 : S Lev 26:1
45. Habakkuk 2:18 : Ps 115:4-5; Jer 10:14; 1Co 12:2
46. Habakkuk 2:19 : 1Ki 18:27
47. Habakkuk 2:19 : S Jer 10:4
48. Habakkuk 2:19 : S Da 5:4, 23; S Hos 4:12
49. Habakkuk 2:20 : S Ps 11:4
50. Habakkuk 2:20 : S Isa 41:1

New International Version (NIV)

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