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Habakkuk 2
Expanded Bible
Habakkuk 2
Expanded Bible
2 I will stand like a guard to watch
and ·place [station] myself at the tower.
I will wait to see what he will say to me;
I will wait to learn how ·God will answer [or I will answer concerning] my complaint.
The Lord Answers
2 The Lord answered me:
“Write down the vision;
write it ·clearly [plainly] on clay tablets
so whoever reads it can run to tell others.
3 ·It is not yet time for the message to come true [L For the vision awaits an appointed time],
·but that time is coming soon [it hastens to the end; or it speaks about the end];
the message will ·come true [not lie].
·It may seem like a long time,
but [Though it tarries/lingers] be patient and wait for it,
because it will surely come;
it will not be delayed.
4 [L Look; T Behold] ·The evil nation [L He] is ·very proud of itself [puffed up];
·it [L his soul] is not ·living as it should [upright].
But ·those who are right with God [the righteous] will live ·by faith [or because of their faithfulness; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38].
5 “Just as wine ·can trick [betrays] a person,
those who are too proud will not ·last, [have rest; settle down]
·because their desire is like a grave’s desire for death [L he opens wide his throat like Sheol; C the grave or the underworld],
and like death they always want more.
They gather other nations for themselves
and collect for themselves all the ·countries [peoples].
6 But all ·the nations the Babylonians have hurt [L these] will ·laugh at [taunt] them.
They will ·make fun of the Babylonians [ridicule with riddles]
and say, ‘·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] the one that ·steals many things [L piles up what is not his].
How long will that nation get rich by ·forcing others to pay them [extortion; goods taken in pledge]?’
7 “·One day the people from whom you have taken money will [L Will not your creditors…?] turn against you.
They will ·realize what is happening [L wake up] and make you shake with fear.
Then ·they will take everything you have [L you will become their plunder].
8 Because you have ·stolen from [plundered] many nations,
those who are left will ·take much from [plunder] you.
·This is because you have killed many people [For the human blood you have shed],
·destroying [violently attacking] countries and cities and everyone in them.
9 “·How terrible it will be for the nation [L Woe to him] that ·becomes rich by doing wrong [builds his house with unjust gain; or acquires evil gain for his own house],
thinking they will ·live in a safe place [L set his nest on high]
and escape ·harm [L the hand of evil].
10 Because you have ·made plans [plotted; schemed] to ·destroy [L cut off] many people,
you have brought shame to your house.
Because of it, you will ·lose your lives [forfeit your soul/life].
11 The stones of the walls [C of the “house” of Babylon] will cry out against you,
and the ·boards that support the roof [beams of the woodwork] will ·agree that you are wrong [echo the complaint; L answer back].
12 “·How terrible it will be for the nation [L Woe to him] that ·kills people [uses bloodshed] to build a city,
that ·wrongs others [uses injustice] to start a town.
13 [L Look; T Behold] The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will send fire
to destroy what those people have built;
all the nations’ ·work [weariness] will be for nothing.
14 Then, just as water covers the sea,
·people everywhere will know [L the earth will be filled with the knowledge of] the Lord’s glory.
15 “·How terrible for the nation that [L Woe to him who] makes its neighbors drink,
pouring ·from the jug of wine [or out your wrath] until they are drunk
so that it can look at their naked bodies.
16 ·You Babylonians [L You] will be filled with ·disgrace [shame], not ·respect [glory].
It’s your turn to drink and ·fall to the ground [or expose your uncircumcision] like a drunk person.
The ·cup of anger [L cup; Jer. 25:15–29] from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you.
You will receive ·disgrace [shame], not ·respect [glory].
17 You ·hurt many people [did violence] in Lebanon,
but now you will be ·hurt [overwhelmed by it].
You killed many animals there,
and now you must be afraid
because of ·what you did [the blood and violence you did]
to that land, those cities, and the people who lived in them.
The Message About Idols
18 “·An idol does no good [L What value does an idol have…?], because a human made it;
it is only a ·statue [metal image] that teaches lies.
The one who made it ·expects his own work to help him [trusts in his own creation],
but he makes idols that can’t even speak!
19 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] the one who says to a wooden statue, ‘·Come to life [Wake up]!’
·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] the one who says to a silent stone, ‘·Get up [Arise]!’
It cannot ·tell you what to do [teach/guide us].
It is only a statue covered with gold and silver;
there is no ·life [breath] in it.
20 The Lord is in his Holy Temple;
all the earth should be silent ·in his presence [before him].”
Habakkuk 2
New International Version
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)
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 2:1 Or and what to answer when I am rebuked
- Habakkuk 2:2 Or so that whoever reads it
- Habakkuk 2:3 Or Though he linger, wait for him; / he
- Habakkuk 2:4 Or faith
- Habakkuk 2:16 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint) and stagger
Habakkuk 2
King James Version
Habakkuk 2
King James Version
2 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
5 Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:
6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!
7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?
8 Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
9 Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!
10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.
11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!
13 Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?
14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!
16 Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the Lord's right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.
17 For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
18 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?
19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
Expanded Bible (EXB)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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