http://www.humanreligions.info/habakkuk.html
By Vexen Crabtree 2012
#bible #christianity #judaism #minor_prophets #old_testament
Jewish Tanakh
Title: Ḥabhaqquq
Section: 8th book of Nevi'im - Trei Asar (The Twelve)
Protestant Bibles
Title: Habakkuk
Section: Minor Prophets
Catholic Bible
Title: Habacuc
Section: Minor Prophets
Eastern Orthodox Bibles
Title: Habakkuk
Section: Minor Prophets
After a long series of prophets promise again and again that god is going to punish their neighbours for the unbelief, God again promises to deliver "justice" but rather than do it itself, God says that the brutal and idolatrous Chaldeans will be the instrument of justice. It is a case of "my enemy's enemy is my friend" although the author of this book says God will still reward those of the Chaldeans who are righteous. It is hard to see what morals or teachings there are in these wars between the Hebrews and their neighbours other than that it pays to be on the winning side, whether or not the winners are Jehovah-fearers!
#12 #bible #christianity #judaism #minor_prophets #old_testament
The 8th part of the Hebrew holy text the Nevi'im is called the Trei Asar (The Twelve), and from it the Christians extracted the 12 books of the Old Testament that are together known as the Minor Prophets, including Habakkuk. They are not chronological and they are collected together as 'minor' prophets simply because they are shorter than the 'major' prophets1. The Hebrews wrote a great number of religious texts; the reason that 12 in particular were selected is because religious scribes would create collections of 12 wherever possible, as it was considered a magical number2.
For more, see:
| KJV | YLT | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. | The burden that Habakkuk the prophet hath seen: | |
| 2 | O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! | Till when, O Jehovah, have I cried, And Thou dost not hear? I cry unto Thee -- `Violence,' and Thou dost not save. | |
| 3 | Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. | Why dost Thou shew me iniquity, And perversity dost cause to behold? And spoiling and violence `are' before me, And there is strife, and contention doth lift `itself' up, | |
| 4 | Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth. | Therefore doth law cease, And judgment doth not go forth for ever, For the wicked is compassing the righteous, Therefore wrong judgment goeth forth. | |
| 5 | Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you. | Look ye on nations, and behold and marvel greatly. For a work He is working in your days, Ye do not believe though it is declared. | |
| 6 | For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not their's. | For, lo, I am raising up the Chaldeans, The bitter and hasty nation, That is going to the broad places of earth, To occupy tabernacles not its own. | |
| 7 | They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves. | Terrible and fearful it `is', From itself its judgment and its excellency go forth. | |
| 8 | Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. | Swifter than leopards have been its horses, And sharper than evening wolves, And increased have its horsemen, Even its horsemen from afar come in, They fly as an eagle, hasting to consume. | |
| 9 | They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand. | Wholly for violence it doth come in, Their faces swallowing up the east wind, And it doth gather as the sand a captivity. | |
| 10 | And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it. | And at kings it doth scoff, And princes `are' a laughter to it, At every fenced place it doth laugh, And it heapeth up dust, and captureth it. | |
| 11 | Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god. | Then passed on hath the spirit, Yea, he doth transgress, And doth ascribe this his power to his god. | |
| 12 | Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction. | Art not Thou of old, O Jehovah, my God, my Holy One? We do not die, O Jehovah, For judgment Thou hast appointed it, And, O Rock, for reproof Thou hast founded it. | |
| 13 | Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he? | Purer of eyes than to behold evil, To look on perverseness Thou art not able, Why dost Thou behold the treacherous? Thou keepest silent when the wicked Doth swallow the more righteous than he, | |
| 14 | And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them? | And Thou makest man as fishes of the sea, As a creeping thing -- none ruling over him. | |
| 15 | They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad. | Each of them with a hook he hath brought up, He doth catch it in his net, and gathereth it in his drag, Therefore he doth joy and rejoice. | |
| 16 | Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous. | Therefore he doth sacrifice to his net, And doth make perfume to his drag, For by them `is' his portion fertile, and his food fat. | |
| 17 | Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations? | Doth he therefore empty his net, And continually to slay nations spare not? |
| KJV | YLT | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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. | On my charge I stand, and I station myself on a bulwark, and I watch to see what He doth speak against me, and what I do reply to my reproof. | |
| 2 | And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. | And Jehovah answereth me and saith: `Write a vision, and explain on the tables, That he may run who is reading 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. | For yet the vision `is' for a season, And it breatheth for the end, and doth not lie, If it tarry, wait for it, For surely it cometh, it is not late. | |
| 4 | Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. | Lo, a presumptuous one! Not upright is his soul within him, And the righteous by his stedfastness liveth. | |
| 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: | And also, because the wine `is' treacherous, A man is haughty, and remaineth not at home, Who hath enlarged as sheol his soul, And is as death that is not satisfied, And doth gather unto itself all the nations, And doth assemble unto itself all the peoples, | |
| 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! | Do not these -- all of them -- against him a simile taken up, And a moral of acute sayings for him, And say, Wo `to' him who is multiplying `what is' not his? Till when also is he multiplying to himself heavy pledges? | |
| 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? | Do not thy usurers instantly rise up, And those shaking thee awake up, And thou hast been for a spoil to 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. | Because thou hast spoiled many nations, Spoil thee do all the remnant of the peoples, Because of man's blood, and of violence `to' the land, `To' the city, and `to' all dwelling in it. | |
| 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! | Wo `to' him who is gaining evil gain for his house, To set on high his nest, To be delivered from the hand of evil, | |
| 10 | Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul. | Thou hast counselled a shameful thing to thy house, To cut off many peoples, and sinful `is' thy soul. | |
| 11 | For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it. | For a stone from the wall doth cry out, And a holdfast from the wood answereth it. | |
| 12 | Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! | Wo `to' him who is building a city by blood, And establishing 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? | Lo, is it not from Jehovah of Hosts And peoples are fatigued for fire, And nations for vanity are weary? | |
| 14 | For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. | For full is the earth of the knowledge of the honour of Jehovah, As waters cover `the bottom of' a 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! | Wo `to' him who is giving drink to his neighbour, Pouring out thy bottle, and also making drunk, In order to 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. | Thou hast been filled -- shame without honour, Drink thou also, and be uncircumcised, Turn round unto thee doth the cup of the right hand of Jehovah, And shameful spewing `is' on thine honour. | |
| 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. | For violence `to' Lebanon doth cover thee, And spoil of beasts doth affright them, Because of man's blood, and of violence `to' the land, `To' the city, and `to' all dwelling in it. | |
| 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? | What profit hath a graven image given That its former hath graven it? A molten image and teacher of falsehood, That trusted hath the former on his own formation -- 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. | Wo `to' him who is saying to wood, `Awake,' `Stir up,' to a dumb stone, It a teacher! lo, it is overlaid -- gold and silver, And there is no spirit in its midst. | |
| 20 | But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. | And Jehovah `is' in His holy temple, Be silent before Him, all the earth! |
| KJV | YLT | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth. | A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet concerning erring ones: | Habakkuk 3:10-11 appears on Christianity v. Astronomy: The Earth Orbits the Sun! For more on Habakkuk 3:10-11 see Christianity v. Astronomy: The Earth Orbits the Sun!: 5.1. Christian Arguments Against Astronomy Habakkuk 3:10-11: See Christianity's 7 Day Creation Myth: 9. Conclusions Some comments on Habakkuk 3:10-11 are on Mass Belief and the False Consensus Effect: Everyone Believes It So It Must Be True!: 3.2. The Earth is Flat, at the Center of the Universe, and the Sun Revolves Around it (3rd Century to present day) Habakkuk 3:10-11 comments: Science and Religion: 1. Religion Acting Against Science: The Dark Ages Habakkuk 3:10-11 appears on The Christian Dark Ages of Europe: 1.4. Christianity v. Astronomy: The Earth Orbits the Sun! Habakkuk 3:10-11: Religion and Intelligence: 1.1. Bias When Searching for Truth |
| 2 | O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. | O Jehovah, I heard thy report, I have been afraid, O Jehovah, Thy work! in midst of years revive it, In the midst of years Thou makest known In anger Thou dost remember mercy. | |
| 3 | God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. | God from Teman doth come, The Holy One from mount Paran. Pause! Covered the heavens hath His majesty, And His praise hath filled the earth. | |
| 4 | And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power. | And the brightness is as the light, He hath rays out of His hand, And there -- the hiding of His strength. | |
| 5 | Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. | Before Him goeth pestilence, And a burning flame goeth forth at His feet. | |
| 6 | He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting. | He hath stood, and He measureth earth, He hath seen, and He shaketh off nations, And scatter themselves do mountains of antiquity, Bowed have the hills of old, The ways of old `are' His. | |
| 7 | I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. | Under sorrow I have seen tents of Cushan, Tremble do curtains of the land of Midian. | |
| 8 | Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation? | Against rivers hath Jehovah been wroth? Against rivers `is' Thine anger? Against the sea `is' Thy wrath? For Thou dost ride on Thy horses -- Thy chariots of salvation? | |
| 9 | Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. | Utterly naked Thou dost make Thy bow, Sworn are the tribes -- saying, `Pause!' `With' rivers Thou dost cleave the earth. | |
| 10 | The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high. | Seen thee -- pained are mountains, An inundation of waters hath passed over, Given forth hath the deep its voice, High its hands it hath lifted up. | |
| 11 | The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear. | Sun -- moon -- hath stood -- a habitation, At the light thine arrows go on, At the brightness, the glittering of thy spear. | |
| 12 | Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. | In indignation Thou dost tread earth, In anger Thou dost thresh nations. | |
| 13 | Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah. | Thou hast gone forth for the salvation of Thy people, For salvation with Thine anointed, Thou hast smitten the head of the house of the wicked, Laying bare the foundation unto the neck. Pause! | |
| 14 | Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly. | Thou hast pierced with his staves the head of his leaders, They are tempestuous to scatter me, Their exultation `is' as to consume the poor in secret. | |
| 15 | Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters. | Thou hast proceeded through the sea with Thy horses -- the clay of many waters. | |
| 16 | When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops. | I have heard, and my belly trembleth, At the noise have my lips quivered, Rottenness doth come into my bones, And in my place I do tremble, That I rest for a day of distress, At the coming up of the people, he overcometh it. | |
| 17 | Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: | Though the fig-tree doth not flourish, And there is no produce among vines, Failed hath the work of the olive, And fields have not yielded food, Cut off from the fold hath been the flock, And there is no herd in the stalls. | |
| 18 | Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. | Yet I, in Jehovah I exult, I do joy in the God of my salvation. | |
| 19 | The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. | Jehovah the Lord `is' my strength, And He doth make my feet like hinds, And on my high-places causeth me to tread. To the overseer with my stringed instruments! |