Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice! New Living Translation “What sorrow awaits you who build cities with money gained through murder and corruption! English Standard Version “Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity! Berean Standard Bible Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity! King James Bible Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! New King James Version “Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed, Who establishes a city by iniquity! New American Standard Bible “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed, And founds a town with violence! NASB 1995 “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed And founds a town with violence! NASB 1977 “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed And founds a town with violence! Legacy Standard Bible “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed And founds a town with injustice! Amplified Bible “Woe (judgment is coming) to him who builds a city with bloodshed And establishes a town by violence! Christian Standard Bible Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice! Holman Christian Standard Bible Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice! American Standard Version Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity! Contemporary English Version You're doomed! You built a city on crime and violence. English Revised Version Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! GOD'S WORD® Translation " 'How horrible it will be for the one who builds a city by slaughter and founds a town by crime.' Good News Translation You are doomed! You founded a city on crime and built it up by murder. International Standard Version "Woe to the one who founds a city upon bloodshed, and constructs a city by lawlessness. Majority Standard Bible Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity! NET Bible The one who builds a city by bloodshed is as good as dead--he who starts a town by unjust deeds. New Heart English Bible Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity. Webster's Bible Translation Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity! World English Bible Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity! Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionWoe [to] him who is building a city by blood, "" And establishing a city by iniquity. Young's Literal Translation Woe to him who is building a city by blood, And establishing a city by iniquity. Smith's Literal Translation Wo! to him building a city with bloods, and preparing a city by iniquity. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleWoe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and prepareth a city by iniquity. Catholic Public Domain Version Woe to him who builds a town with blood and prepares a city by iniquity. New American Bible Ah! you who build a city by bloodshed, and who establish a town with injustice! New Revised Standard Version “Alas for you who build a town by bloodshed, and found a city on iniquity!” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleWoe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity! Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Woe to him who builds the city in blood and he fashions the city with evil! OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, And establisheth a city by iniquity! Brenton Septuagint Translation Woe to him that builds a city with blood, and establishes a city by unrighteousness. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Woe to the Chaldeans…11For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will echo it from the woodwork. 12Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity! 13Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?… Cross References Jeremiah 22:13 “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages, Micah 3:10 who build Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with iniquity. Isaiah 5:8 Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land. Ezekiel 22:27 Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives for dishonest gain. James 5:1-6 Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days. ... Isaiah 10:1-2 Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees, / to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder. Jeremiah 17:11 Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.” Proverbs 1:11-19 If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause, / let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. / We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder. ... Isaiah 59:6-8 Their cobwebs cannot be made into clothing, and they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their deeds are sinful deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands. / Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake. / The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their tracks. They have turned them into crooked paths; no one who treads on them will know peace. Matthew 23:29-36 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. / And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ / So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. ... Isaiah 33:15 He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, who refuses gain from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears against murderous plots and shuts his eyes tightly against evil— Ezekiel 13:10-16 Because they have led My people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and whitewashing any flimsy wall that is built, / tell those whitewashing the wall that it will fall. Rain will come in torrents, I will send hailstones plunging down, and a windstorm will burst forth. / Surely when the wall has fallen, you will not be asked, ‘Where is the whitewash with which you covered it?’ ... Luke 11:47-51 Woe to you! For you build tombs for the prophets, but it was your fathers who killed them. / So you are witnesses consenting to the deeds of your fathers: They killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. / Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and others they will persecute.’ ... Amos 3:10 “For they know not how to do right,” declares the LORD. “They store up violence and destruction in their citadels.” Isaiah 30:12-13 Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “Because you have rejected this message, trusting in oppression and relying on deceit, / this iniquity of yours is like a breach about to fail, a bulge in a high wall, whose collapse will come suddenly—in an instant! Treasury of Scripture Woe to him that builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity! him. Genesis 4:11-17 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; … Joshua 6:26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it. 1 Kings 16:34 In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun. blood. Habakkuk 2:8 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. Jump to Previous Basing Blood Bloodshed Buildeth Building Builds City Crime Curse Establishes Establisheth Establishing Evil-Doing Iniquity Stablisheth Unrighteousness Violence Wo WoeJump to Next Basing Blood Bloodshed Buildeth Building Builds City Crime Curse Establishes Establisheth Establishing Evil-Doing Iniquity Stablisheth Unrighteousness Violence Wo WoeHabakkuk 2 1. Unto Habakkuk, waiting for an answer, is shown that he must wait by faith.5. The judgment upon the Chaldean for unsatiableness, 9. for covetousness, 12. for cruelty, 15. for drunkenness, 18. and for idolatry. Woe to him The term "woe" is a prophetic pronouncement of judgment and lament. It is often used by prophets to signal divine displeasure and impending judgment. This expression is a warning to those who act unjustly, indicating that their actions will lead to their downfall. In the biblical context, "woe" is a serious admonition, often associated with the consequences of sin and rebellion against God. who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity! Persons / Places / Events 1. HabakkukA prophet in the Old Testament who dialogues with God about the justice and righteousness of His actions, particularly concerning the Babylonian empire. 2. Babylon The empire known for its military conquests and oppressive rule, often building its cities and power through violence and exploitation. 3. Judah The southern kingdom of Israel, which was under threat from Babylon and whose people were questioning God's justice. 4. God The sovereign Lord who responds to Habakkuk's concerns, revealing His plans for justice and righteousness. 5. The Chaldeans Another name for the Babylonians, who are used by God as an instrument of judgment but are also subject to His ultimate justice. Teaching Points The Consequences of InjusticeBuilding a life or society on injustice and violence leads to divine judgment. We must examine our own lives and communities for practices that exploit or harm others. God's Sovereignty and Justice Even when it seems like injustice prevails, God is in control and will bring about justice in His time. Trust in His ultimate plan. The Call to Righteous Living As Christians, we are called to build our lives on righteousness and justice, reflecting God's character in our actions and decisions. The Danger of Exploitation The pursuit of power and success at the expense of others is condemned by God. We must ensure our ambitions do not lead to the harm of others. Hope in God's Justice Despite the prevalence of evil, we have hope in God's promise to right all wrongs. This hope should inspire us to live justly and advocate for those who are oppressed.(12-14) "Woe on the extension of Babylon by oppression and enforced labour.Verses 12-14. - § 10. The third woe: for founding their power in blood and devastation. Verse 12. - The Chaldeans are denounced for the use they make of the wealth acquired by violence. That buildeth a town with blood (Micah 3:19, where see note). They used the riches gained by the murder of conquered nations in enlarging and beautifying their own city. By iniquity. To get means for these buildings, and to carry on their construction, they used injustice and tyranny of every kind. That mercy was not an attribute of Nebuchadnezzar we learn from Daniel's advice to him (Daniel 4:27). The captives and deported inhabitants of conquered countries were used as slaves in these public works (see an illustration of this from Koyunjik, Rawlinson's 'Anc. Men.,' 1:497). What was true of Assyria was no less true of Babylon. Professor Rawlinson (2:528, etc.) tells of the extreme misery and almost entire ruin of subject kingdoms. Not only are lands wasted, cattle and effects carried off, the people punished by the beheading or impalement of hundreds or thousands, but sometimes wholesale deportation of the inhabitants is practised, tons or hundreds of thousands being carried away captive. "The military successes of the Babylonians," he says (3:332), "were accompanied with needless violence, and with outrages not unusual in the East, which the historian must nevertheless regard as at once crimes and follies. The transplantation of conquered races may, perhaps, have been morally defensible, notwithstanding the sufferings which it involved. But the mutilations of prisoners, the weary imprisonments, the massacre of non-combatants, the refinement of cruelty shown in the execution of children before the eyes of their fathers, - these and similar atrocities, which are recorded of the Babylonians, are wholly without excuse, since they did not so much terrify as exasperate the conquered nations, and thus rather endangered than added strength or security to the empire. A savage and inhuman temper is betrayed by these harsh punishments, one that led its possessors to sacrifice interest to vengeance, and the peace of a kingdom to a tiger-like thirst for blood...we cannot be surprised that, when final judgment was denounced against Babylon, it was declared to be sent in a great measure 'because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwelt therein.'" Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Woeה֛וֹי (hō·w) Interjection Strong's 1945: Ah! alas! ha! to him who builds בֹּנֶ֥ה (bō·neh) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 1129: To build a city עִ֖יר (‘îr) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 5892: Excitement with bloodshed בְּדָמִ֑ים (bə·ḏā·mîm) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed and establishes וְכוֹנֵ֥ן (wə·ḵō·w·nên) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 3559: To be erect a town קִרְיָ֖ה (qir·yāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 7151: A town, city by iniquity! בְּעַוְלָֽה׃ (bə·‘aw·lāh) Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 5766: Injustice, unrighteousness Links Habakkuk 2:12 NIVHabakkuk 2:12 NLT Habakkuk 2:12 ESV Habakkuk 2:12 NASB Habakkuk 2:12 KJV Habakkuk 2:12 BibleApps.com Habakkuk 2:12 Biblia Paralela Habakkuk 2:12 Chinese Bible Habakkuk 2:12 French Bible Habakkuk 2:12 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Habakkuk 2:12 Woe to him who builds a town (Hab Hb) |
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