The Prophet Habakkuk

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

I will stand firm during my watch, and fix my position over the fortification. And I will observe carefully, to see what might be said to me and what I might respond to my opponent.(a)

And the Lord responded to me and said: Write the vision and explain it on tablets, so that he who reads it may run through it.

For as yet the vision is far off, and it will appear in the end, and it will not lie. If it expresses any delay, wait for it. For it is arriving and it will arrive, and it will not be hindered.(b)

Behold, he who is unbelieving, his soul will not be right within himself; but he who is just shall live in his faith.

And in the manner that wine deceives the heavy drinker, so will the arrogant man be deceived, and he will not be honored. He has enlarged his life like hellfire, and himself like death, and he is never fulfilled. And he will gather to himself all nations, and he will amass for himself all peoples.(c)

(d)

Woe to the Chaldeans

Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and an enigmatic utterance about him? And it will be said, “Woe to him who increases what is not his own.” How long, then, will he lay down dense clay against himself?(e)

Shall they not suddenly rise up, who would bite you, and be stirred up, who would tear you, so that you will be a prey for them?

Because you have despoiled many peoples, all those who are left of the people shall despoil you, because of the blood of men, and the iniquity of the earth, of the city and all who dwell therein.(f)

Woe to him who gathers together an evil greed for his house, so that his nest may be exalted, and thinking that he might free himself from the hand of evil.

You have devised confusion for your house, you have cut to pieces many peoples, and your soul has sinned.

For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the wood that is between the joints of the building will respond.

Woe to him who builds a town with blood and prepares a city by iniquity.

Are not these things before the Lord of hosts? For the people will labor amid a great fire, and the nations will labor in emptiness, and they will fail.(g)

(h)

For the earth shall be filled, that they might know the glory of the Lord, like the waters spreading over the sea.

Woe to anyone who gives a drink to a friend, releasing a drug and inebriating, so as to look upon their nakedness.(i)

You are filled with disgrace in place of glory. So then, drink and fall fast asleep, for the cup of the right hand of the Lord will surround you, and a disgraceful vomit will cover your glory.

For the iniquity of Lebanon will cover you, and the devastation of animals which will deter them from the blood of men, and the iniquity of the earth and the city, and of all who dwell therein.(j)

Of what benefit is the graven image? For its maker has formed it, a molten and imaginary deception. For its maker has hoped in a figment of his own creation, so as to make a dumb likeness.

Woe to him who says to wood, “Awaken,” to the silent stone, “Arise.” Is it able to teach? Behold, it has been entirely covered with gold and silver; and there is no spirit at all in its inner workings.

But the Lord is in his holy temple. May all the earth be silent before his face.

Footnotes

(a)2:1 Will stand, etc:Waiting to see what the Lord will answer to my complaint, viz., that the Chaldeans, who are worse than the Jews, and who attribute all their success to their own strength, or to their idols, should nevertheless prevail over the people of the Lord. The Lord’s answer is, that the prophet must wait with patience and faith: that all should be set right in due time; and the enemies of God and his people punished according to their deserts.(Challoner)

(b)2:3 Or, ‘for it is on its way, and it will arrive....’(Conte)

(d)2:5 As wine deceives, etc:Viz., by affording only a short passing pleasure; followed by the evils and disgrace that are the usual consequences of drunkenness; so shall it be with the proud enemies of the people of God; whose success affords them only a momentary pleasure, followed by innumerable and everlasting evils.(Challoner)

(e)2:6 Thick clay:Ill-gotten goods, that, like mire, both burden and defile the soul.(Challoner)

(f)2:8 The phrase ‘iniquitatem terræ civitatis’ refers to the iniquity of the community of earth. The word ‘civitatis’ does not always refer to a particular city; it can also refer to a larger community, in this case the whole world. The context of the whole world is made clear in the previous verses, that refer to ‘all nations’ and ‘all peoples.’(Conte)

(g)2:13 Are not these things, etc:That is, shall not these punishments that are here recorded, come from the Lord upon him that is guilty of such crimes.(Challoner)

(h)2:13 The people shall labour, etc:Viz., the enemies of God’s people.(Challoner)

(i)2:15 This translation eschews the so-called ‘inclusive language’ approach to translation. However, in this verse, it would be misleading to choose between ‘he’ and ‘she’ for the pronouns as the meaning of the text clearly applies to both or either genders. Thus, the word ‘their’ is used in the singular.(Conte)

(j)2:17 The iniquity of Libanus:That is, the iniquity committed by the Chaldeans against the temple of God, signified here by the name of Libanus.(Challoner)