Habakkuk 2:20

עַל־מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣י אֶֽעֱמֹ֔דָה וְאֶֽתְיַצְּבָ֖ה עַל־מָצ֑וֹר וַאֲצַפֶּ֗ה לִרְאוֹת֙ מַה־יְדַבֶּר־בִּ֔י וּמָ֥ה אָשִׁ֖יב עַל־תּוֹכַחְתִּֽי׃ I will stand on my watch,
Take up my station at the^athe 1QpHab reads “my.” post,
And wait to see what [God] will say to me,^bto me Or “through me”; cf. Num. 12.2.
What will be the reply^cWhat will be the reply Taking ʼashib as equivalent to yashib. to my complaint.

וַיַּעֲנֵ֤נִי יְהֹוָה֙ וַיֹּ֔אמֶר כְּתֹ֣ב חָז֔וֹן וּבָאֵ֖ר עַל־הַלֻּח֑וֹת לְמַ֥עַן יָר֖וּץ ק֥וֹרֵא בֽוֹ׃ GOD answered me and said:
Write the prophecy down,
Inscribe it clearly on tablets,
So that it can be read easily.

כִּ֣י ע֤וֹד חָזוֹן֙ לַמּוֹעֵ֔ד וְיָפֵ֥חַ לַקֵּ֖ץ וְלֹ֣א יְכַזֵּ֑ב אִם־יִתְמַהְמָהּ֙ חַכֵּה־ל֔וֹ כִּי־בֹ֥א יָבֹ֖א לֹ֥א יְאַחֵֽר׃ For there is yet a prophecy^dthere is yet a prophecy Emendation yields “the prophecy is a witness.” for a set term,
A truthful witness for a time that will come.
Even if it tarries, wait for it still;
For it will surely come, without delay:

הִנֵּ֣ה עֻפְּלָ֔ה לֹא־יָשְׁרָ֥ה נַפְשׁ֖וֹ בּ֑וֹ וְצַדִּ֖יק בֶּאֱמוּנָת֥וֹ יִֽחְיֶֽה׃ {ס}         Lo, their spirit within them is puffed up, not upright,
But^eLo, their spirit within them is puffed up, not upright, / But Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “Lo, there is a reward for the upright— / the life breath within them— / And…” the righteous are rewarded with life
For their fidelity.

וְאַף֙ כִּֽי־הַיַּ֣יִן בֹּגֵ֔ד גֶּ֥בֶר יָהִ֖יר וְלֹ֣א יִנְוֶ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֩ הִרְחִ֨יב כִּשְׁא֜וֹל נַפְשׁ֗וֹ וְה֤וּא כַמָּ֙וֶת֙ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׂבָּ֔ע וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ף אֵלָיו֙ כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם וַיִּקְבֹּ֥ץ אֵלָ֖יו כׇּל־הָעַמִּֽים׃ How much less then shall the defiant^fdefiant Connecting hyyn (1QpHab hwn) with the root hwn, Deut. 1.41; for the thought cf. Prov. 11.31. Meaning of rest of line uncertain. go unpunished,
The treacherous, the arrogant
Who have made their maw as wide as Sheol,
Who are as insatiable as Death,
Who have harvested all the nations
And gathered in all the peoples!

הֲלוֹא־אֵ֣לֶּה כֻלָּ֗ם עָלָיו֙ מָשָׁ֣ל יִשָּׂ֔אוּ וּמְלִיצָ֖ה חִיד֣וֹת ל֑וֹ וְיֹאמַ֗ר ה֚וֹי הַמַּרְבֶּ֣ה לֹּא־ל֔וֹ עַד־מָתַ֕י וּמַכְבִּ֥יד עָלָ֖יו עַבְטִֽיט׃ Surely all these shall pronounce a satire against them,
A pointed epigram concerning them.
They shall say:
Ah, you who pile up what is not yours—
How much longer?—
And make ever heavier your load of indebtedness!

הֲל֣וֹא פֶ֗תַע יָק֙וּמוּ֙ נֹֽשְׁכֶ֔יךָ וְיִקְצ֖וּ מְזַעְזְעֶ֑יךָ וְהָיִ֥יתָ לִמְשִׁסּ֖וֹת לָֽמוֹ׃ Right suddenly will your creditors^gcreditors Lit. “usurers.” arise,
And those who remind^hremind Lit. “shake”; the same verb means “to call to mind” in Samaritan Aramaic. you will awake,
And you will be despoiled by them.

כִּֽי־אַתָּ֤ה שַׁלּ֙וֹתָ֙ גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים יְשׇׁלּ֖וּךָ כׇּל־יֶ֣תֶר עַמִּ֑ים מִדְּמֵ֤י אָדָם֙ וַֽחֲמַס־אֶ֔רֶץ קִרְיָ֖ה וְכׇל־יֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ {פ}
Because you plundered many nations,
All surviving peoples shall plunder you—
For crimes against humans and wrongs against lands,
Against cities and all their inhabitants.

ה֗וֹי בֹּצֵ֛עַ בֶּ֥צַע רָ֖ע לְבֵית֑וֹ לָשׂ֤וּם בַּמָּרוֹם֙ קִנּ֔וֹ לְהִנָּצֵ֖ל מִכַּף־רָֽע׃ Ah, you who have acquired gains
To the detriment of your own house,
Who have destroyed many peoplesⁱWho have destroyed many peoples Moved up from v. 10 for clarity.
In order to set your nest on high
To escape disaster!

יָעַ֥צְתָּ בֹּ֖שֶׁת לְבֵיתֶ֑ךָ קְצוֹת־עַמִּ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים וְחוֹטֵ֥א נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ You have plotted shame for your own house,
And guilt for yourself;

כִּי־אֶ֖בֶן מִקִּ֣יר תִּזְעָ֑ק וְכָפִ֖יס מֵעֵ֥ץ יַעֲנֶֽנָּה׃ {פ}
For a stone shall cry out from the wall,
And a rafter shall answer it from the woodwork.

ה֛וֹי בֹּנֶ֥ה עִ֖יר בְּדָמִ֑ים וְכוֹנֵ֥ן קִרְיָ֖ה בְּעַוְלָֽה׃ Ah, you who have built a town with crime,
And established a city with infamy,

הֲל֣וֹא הִנֵּ֔ה מֵאֵ֖ת יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת וְיִֽיגְע֤וּ עַמִּים֙ בְּדֵי־אֵ֔שׁ וּלְאֻמִּ֖ים בְּדֵי־רִ֥יק יִעָֽפוּ׃ So that peoples have had to toil for the fire,^jfor the fire I.e., without profit.
And nations to weary themselves for naught!
^kConnection with the next four lines uncertain; they might read better after v. 20. Behold, it is from GOD of Hosts:

כִּ֚י תִּמָּלֵ֣א הָאָ֔רֶץ לָדַ֖עַת אֶת־כְּב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֑ה כַּמַּ֖יִם יְכַסּ֥וּ עַל־יָֽם׃ {פ}
For the earth shall be filled
With awe for GOD’s glory
As water covers the sea.^lFor the earth … the sea Cf. Isa. 11.9.

ה֚וֹי מַשְׁקֵ֣ה רֵעֵ֔הוּ מְסַפֵּ֥חַ חֲמָתְךָ֖ וְאַ֣ף שַׁכֵּ֑ר לְמַ֥עַן הַבִּ֖יט עַל־מְעוֹרֵיהֶֽם׃ Ah, you who make others drink to intoxication
As you pour out^mAs you pour out Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “from the bowl of.” your wrath,
In order to gaze upon their nakedness!ⁿnakedness Cf. Gen. 9.21–22.

שָׂבַ֤עְתָּ קָלוֹן֙ מִכָּב֔וֹד שְׁתֵ֥ה גַם־אַ֖תָּה וְהֵעָרֵ֑ל תִּסּ֣וֹב עָלֶ֗יךָ כּ֚וֹס יְמִ֣ין יְהֹוָ֔ה וְקִיקָל֖וֹן עַל־כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃ You shall be sated with shame
Rather than glory:
Drink in your turn and stagger!^ostagger Emendation yields “uncover yourself”; cf. Lam. 4.21.
The cup in GOD’s right hand
Shall come around to you,
And disgrace to^pdisgrace to Or “vomit of disgrace upon.” your glory.

כִּ֣י חֲמַ֤ס לְבָנוֹן֙ יְכַסֶּ֔ךָּ וְשֹׁ֥ד בְּהֵמ֖וֹת יְחִיתַ֑ן מִדְּמֵ֤י אָדָם֙ וַחֲמַס־אֶ֔רֶץ קִרְיָ֖ה וְכׇל־יֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ For the lawlessness against Lebanon shall cover you,
The destruction of animals shall overwhelm you^qFor the lawlessness … overwhelm you Meaning of Heb. uncertain.—
For crimes against humans and wrongs against lands,
Against cities and all their inhabitants.

מָה־הוֹעִ֣יל פֶּ֗סֶל כִּ֤י פְסָלוֹ֙ יֹֽצְר֔וֹ מַסֵּכָ֖ה וּמ֣וֹרֶה שָּׁ֑קֶר כִּ֣י בָטַ֞ח יֹצֵ֤ר יִצְרוֹ֙ עָלָ֔יו לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת אֱלִילִ֥ים אִלְּמִֽים׃ {ס}         ^rThis verse would read well after v. 19. What has the carved image availed,
That its maker has carved it
For an image and a false oracle—
That the one who makes an item has trusted in it,
Producing dumb idols?

ה֣וֹי אֹמֵ֤ר לָעֵץ֙ הָקִ֔יצָה ע֖וּרִי לְאֶ֣בֶן דּוּמָ֑ם ה֣וּא יוֹרֶ֔ה הִנֵּה־ה֗וּא תָּפוּשׂ֙ זָהָ֣ב וָכֶ֔סֶף וְכׇל־ר֖וּחַ אֵ֥ין בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ Ah, you who say, “Wake up” to wood,
“Awaken,” to inert stone!
Can that give an oracle?
Why, it is encased in gold and silver,
But there is no breath inside it.