Habakkuk 2:6

New Living Translation

"But soon their captives will taunt them. They will mock them, saying, ‘What sorrow awaits you thieves! Now you will get what you deserve! You've become rich by extortion, but how much longer can this go on?'

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Won’t all of these take up a taunt against him,with mockery and riddles about him?They will say:Woe to him who amasses what is not his—how much longer?—and loads himself with goods taken in pledge.

Hebrew Names Version
Won't all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, 'Woe to him who increases that which is not his, and who enriches himself by extortion! How long?'

King James Version (1611)
Shal not all these take vp a parable against him, and a tanting prouerbe against him, and say; Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his: how long? And to him that ladeth himselfe with thicke clay.

King James Version
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!

English Standard Version
Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, "Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own— for how long?— and loads himself with pledges!"

New American Standard Bible
"Will all of these not take up a song of ridicule against him, Even a saying and insinuations against him And say, 'Woe to him who increases what is not his— For how long— And makes himself rich with debts!'

New Century Version
But all the nations the Babylonians have hurt will laugh at them. They will make fun of the Babylonians and say, ‘How terrible it will be for the one that steals many things. How long will that nation get rich by forcing others to pay them?'

Amplified Bible
"Will all these [victims of his greed] not take up a taunting song against him, And in mocking derision against him Say, 'Woe (judgment is coming) to him who increases that which is not his— How long [will he possess it]? And [woe to him who] makes himself wealthy with loans.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
Shall not all these take vp a parable against him, and a tanting prouerbe against him, and say, Ho, he that increaseth that which is not his? howe long? and hee that ladeth himselfe with thicke clay?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Will not all of these take up a taunt-song against him, Even mockery and insinuations against him And say, 'Woe to him who increases what is not his— For how long— And makes himself rich with loans?'

Legacy Standard Bible
"Will not all of these lift up a taunt‑song against him,Even satire and riddles against himAnd say, ‘Woe to him who increases what is not his—For how long—And makes himself rich with loans?'

Berean Standard Bible
Will not all of these take up a taunt against him, with mockery and riddles against him, saying: 'Woe to him who amasses what is not his and makes himself rich with many loans! How long will this go on?'

Contemporary English Version
But they will be mocked with these words: You're doomed! You stored up stolen goods and cheated others of what belonged to them.

Complete Jewish Bible
Won't all these take up taunting him and say about him, in mocking riddles, ‘Woe to him who amasses other people's wealth! — how long must it go on? — and to him who adds to himself the weight of goods taken in pledge!

Darby Translation
Shall not all these take up a proverb about him, and a taunting riddle against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long?—and to him that loadeth himself with pledges!

Easy-to-Read Version
But soon enough, all those people will laugh at him and tell stories about his defeat. They will laugh and say, ‘It's too bad that the man who took so many things will not get to keep them! He made himself rich by collecting debts.'

George Lamsa Translation
Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him who gathers and increases that which is not his! How long will he load himself with earthly goods?

Good News Translation
The conquered people will taunt their conquerors and show their scorn for them. They will say, "You take what isn't yours, but you are doomed! How long will you go on getting rich by forcing your debtors to pay up?"

Lexham English Bible
Shall not all of these take up a taunt against him, with ridicule and riddles against him, saying, ‘Woe to him who heaps up what is not his'? For how long? And, ‘Woe to him who makes himself heavy with pledges'?

Literal Translation
Shall not all of these lift up a parable against him, and a mocking riddle to him, and say, Woe to him who increases what is not his! Until when, then, shall he load the pledges on himself?

American Standard Version
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 that ladeth himself with pledges!

Bible in Basic English
Will not all these take up a word of shame against him and a bitter saying against him, and say, A curse on him who goes on taking what is not his and is weighted down with the property of debtors!

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting riddle against him, and say: 'Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and that ladeth himself with many pledges!'

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Shall not all these take vp a parable against him? and a taunting prouerbe against him, and say: Wo he that increaseth that which is not his? how long? and he that ladeth him selfe with thicke clay?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Shall not all these take up a parable against him? and a proverb to tell against him? and they shall say, Woe to him that multiplies to himself the possessions which are not his! how long? and who heavily loads his yoke.

English Revised Version
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 that ladeth himself with pledges!

World English Bible
Won't all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, 'Woe to him who increases that which is not his, and who enriches himself by extortion! How long?'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whether not alle these puplis schulen take a parable on hym, and the speking of derk sentencis of hym? And it schal be seid, Wo to hym that multiplieth thingis not his owne; hou longe, and he aggreggith ayens hym silf thicke clei?

Update Bible Version
Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increases that which is not his! how long? and that loads himself with pledges!

Webster's Bible Translation
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!

New English Translation
"But all these nations will someday taunt him and ridicule him with proverbial sayings: ‘The one who accumulates what does not belong to him is as good as dead (How long will this go on?)— he who gets rich by extortion!'

New King James Version
"Will not all these take up a proverb against him,And a taunting riddle against him, and say,'Woe to him who increasesWhat is not his--how long?And to him who loads himself with many pledges'? [fn]

New Life Bible
"Will not all these people make fun of him and say, ‘It is bad for him who gathers what is not his and makes himself rich with other people's money. How long will this go on?'

New Revised Standard
Shall not everyone taunt such people and, with mocking riddles, say about them, "Alas for you who heap up what is not your own!" How long will you load yourselves with goods taken in pledge?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Shall not, these, all of them, against him, take up - a taunt, a mocking poem, enigmatical sentences - concerning him? And say - Alas! for him who maketh abundance in what is not his own, How long? that he should be burdening himself with heavy debts?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a dark speech concerning him: and it shall be said: Woe to him that heapeth together that which is not his own? how long also doth he load himself with thick clay?

Revised Standard Version
Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, in scoffing derision of him, and say, "Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own--for how long? --and loads himself with pledges!"

Young's Literal Translation
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?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But shall not all these take vp a prouerbe agaynst him, and mocke him with a byworde, and saye: Wo vnto him that heapeth vp other mens goodes? How longe wil he lade himself with thicke claye?

Contextual Overview

⁵ Wealth is treacherous, and the arrogant are never at rest. They open their mouths as wide as the grave, and like death, they are never satisfied. In their greed they have gathered up many nations and swallowed many peoples. ⁶ "But soon their captives will taunt them. They will mock them, saying, ‘What sorrow awaits you thieves! Now you will get what you deserve! You've become rich by extortion, but how much longer can this go on?' ⁷ Suddenly, your debtors will take action. They will turn on you and take all you have, while you stand trembling and helpless. ⁸ Because you have plundered many nations, now all the survivors will plunder you. You committed murder throughout the countryside and filled the towns with violence. ⁹ "What sorrow awaits you who build big houses with money gained dishonestly! You believe your wealth will buy security, putting your family's nest beyond the reach of danger. ¹⁰ But by the murders you committed, you have shamed your name and forfeited your lives. ¹¹ The very stones in the walls cry out against you, and the beams in the ceilings echo the complaint. ¹² "What sorrow awaits you who build cities with money gained through murder and corruption! ¹³ Has not the Lord of Heaven's Armies promised that the wealth of nations will turn to ashes? They work so hard, but all in vain! ¹⁴ For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord .

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

take: Numbers 23:7, Numbers 23:18, Isaiah 14:4-19, Jeremiah 29:22, Jeremiah 50:13, Ezekiel 32:21, Micah 2:4

Woe to him: or, Ho, he

that increaseth: Habakkuk 1:9, Habakkuk 1:10, Habakkuk 1:15, Job 20:15-29, Job 22:6-10, Proverbs 22:16, Jeremiah 51:34, Jeremiah 51:35, James 5:1-4

how: Psalms 94:3, Luke 12:20, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, 1 Peter 4:7

ladeth: Habakkuk 2:13, Isaiah 44:20, Isaiah 55:2

Reciprocal: Numbers 21:27 - General Joshua 7:11 - among Joshua 7:25 - Why hast 2 Kings 5:24 - and bestowed Job 18:15 - because Job 27:16 - heap up Proverbs 10:3 - but Proverbs 10:22 - he Proverbs 13:11 - Wealth Proverbs 20:21 - but Ecclesiastes 10:15 - labour Isaiah 10:1 - Woe Jeremiah 17:11 - he that Hosea 12:8 - I have Amos 1:13 - ripped up the women with child Matthew 13:3 - in

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Shall not all these take up a parable against him,.... A proverbial expression, a short sentence, a laconic speech, delivered in a few words, which contains much in them concerning the vices of these emperors, and imprecating judgments upon them for them; took up and expressed by the nations brought into subjection unto them, and especially by the Christians in those nations spoiled and persecuted by them:

and a taunting proverb against him; or, "whose explanation are riddles to him" y; the proverb, when explained, would be a riddle to him, which he could not understand, nor would give any credit to; taking it not to belong to him or them, and in which they had no concern; though afterwards would find they had, to their great mortification:

and say, Woe to him that increaseth [that which is] not his! substance or goods, not his own, as the Targum explains it; which they had no right unto, nor property in, but were another's; and therefore guilty of great injustice in taking it from them, and might justly expect vengeance would pursue them for it; such were the goods they spoiled the Christians of for not worshipping their idols, and for professing and abiding by the Christian religion:

how long? that is, how long shall they go on increasing their substance by such unjust and unlawful methods? how long shall they keep that which they have so unjustly got? this suggests as if it was a long time, which, as Cocceius observes, does not so well agree with the Babylonian as the Roman empire, which stood much longer:

and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay: such is gold and silver, no other than yellow and white dust and dirt; and may be called clay, because dug out of the earth, as that; and as clay is defiling, so are gold and silver, when ill gotten, or ill used, or the heart set too much upon them; and as that is very ponderous and troublesome to carry, so an abundance of riches bring much care with them, and often are very troublesome to the owners of them, and frequently hinder their sleep, rest, and ease; and as clay when it sticks to the heels hinders walking, so riches, when the affections are too much set on them, are great obstacles in the way of true religion and godliness; hence our Lord observes, "how hard it is them, that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God", Mark 10:24 they are even a weight, a clog to good men. The phrase seems to point at the meanness of them, as well as the hurt that sometimes comes by them, and the contempt they should be had in, in comparison of the true riches; hence, agreeable to this way of speaking, a good man Drusius makes mention of used to call gold "yellow earth": and a certain Greek writer z says gold is ashes, and so is silver. The word used is a compound; and, as Kimchi observes, signifies an abundance of riches; but our countryman Mr. Fuller a chooses rather to render it an "abundance of pledges"; and thinks it has respect to the many pledges which the person here spoken of, by whom he supposes is meant the Babylonian monarch, had in an unjust manner took of several nations, and heaped up like an usurer; and which should in due time be taken from him, by those whom he had plundered of them: but this expresses the greedy desire of the Romans after money, as well as the unlawful methods they took to acquire wealth, and the vast sums they became masters of, so that they were even loaded with it; but, getting it in an unrighteous manner, it brought the curses and imprecations of the people upon them, especially those they defrauded of it. Joseph Kimchi, as his son David observes, interprets it,

"he shall make thick clay lie heavy on his grave;''

and it was a custom with the Romans, as Drusius b relates, that when one imprecated evil upon another, he used to wish a heavy load of earth upon him, that is, when he was dead; as, on the contrary, when one was wished well after death, it was desired he might have a light earth upon him: so Julian the emperor, speaking of Constantius, says c,

"when he is become happy, or departs out of this life, may the earth be light upon him;''

which is wishing all felicity, and freedom from punishment; whereas the contrary, to have a load of earth or thick clay, is an imprecation of the heaviest punishment.

y ומליצה חידות לו "et interpretationem aenigmata ei", Drusius, Burkius; "et interpretatio erit aenigmata ipsi", Cocceius; "cujus explicatio illi erit aenigmatum loco", Van Till. z χρυσος τοι κονις εστι, και αργυρος, Naumachius apud Grotium in loc. a Miscel. Sacr. l. 5. c. 8. b Observat. l. 15. c. 18. c Epist. Hermogeni, Ep. 23. p. 141.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him? - Nebuchadnezzar gathered, Daniel 3:4-5, “all people, nations, and languages, to worship the golden image which he had set up.” The second Babylon, pagan Rome, sought to blot out the very Christian Name; but mightier were the three children than the King of Babylon; mightier, virgins, martyrs, and children than Nero or Decius. These shall rejoice over Babylon, that, Revelation 18:20, “God hath avenged them on her.”

Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! - Truly wealth ill-gotten by fraud or oppression, “is not his,” who winneth it, before he had it, nor when he hath it, but a woe. It is not his; the woe is his. “Woe unto him.” He shall have no joy in what he gaineth, and what he hath he shall lose.

How long? - What is the measure of thine impiety and greediness and cruelty? Yet if these are like hell, without measure, there remains another “How long?” How long will the forbearance of God endure thee, which thou art daily exhausting?

This is then the end of all. The conqueror sweeps to him “all nations” and gathereth to him “all peoples.” To what end? As one vast choir in one terrible varied chant of all those thousand thousand voices, to sing a dirge over him of the judgments of God which his ill-doings to them should bring upon him, a fivefold Woe, woe, woe, woe, woe! Woe for its rapacity! Woe for its covetousness! Woe for its oppression! Woe for its insolence to the conquered! Woe to it in its rebellion against God! It is a more measured rhythm than any besides in Holy Scripture; each of the fivefold woes comprised in three verses, four of them closing with the ground, because, for. The opening words carry the mind back to the fuller picture of Isaiah. But Isaiah sees Babylon as already overthrown; Habakkuk pronounces the words upon it, not by name, but as certainly to come, upon it and every like enemy of God’s kingdom. With each such fall, unto the end of all things, the glory of God is increased and made known. Having, for their own ends, been unconscious and even unwilling promoters of God’s end, they, when they had accomplished it, are themselves flung away. The pride of human ambition, when successful, boasts “woe to the conquered.” Since “whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth,” the ungodly saying of the pagan is reversed, and it stands, “Man sympathizes with the conquering side, God with the conquered.” It is a terrible thought that people should have been the instruments of God, that they should, through ambition or other ends short of God, have promoted His ends which they thought not of, and then should be “weighed in the balance and found wanting,” and themselves be flung away.

Cyr: “Gentiles also departed from their worship under Satan, and having deserted him who aforetime called them, ran unto Christ. For Satan gathered what was not his; but Christ received what was His. For, as God, He is Lord of all.”

And to him that ladeth himself with thick clay - It is the character of these proverbs to say much in few words, sometimes in one, and more than appears. So the word translated “thick-clay,” as if it were two words, in another way means in an intensive sense, “a strong deep pledge.” At best gold and silver are, as they have been called, red and white earth. Bern. Serm. 4. in Adv: “What are gold and silver but red and white earth, which the error of man alone maketh, or accounteth precious? What are gems, but stones of the earth? What silk, but webs of worms?” These he “maketh heavy upon” or “against himself” (so the words strictly mean). “For He weigheth himself down with thick clay, who, by avarice multiplying earthly things, hems himself in by the oppressiveness of his own sin, imprisons and, as it were, buries the soul, and heaps up sin as he heaps up wealth.” With toil they gather what is not worthless only, but is a burden upon the soul, weighing it down that it should not rise Heavenwards, but should be bowed down to Hell. And so in that other sense while, as a hard usurer, he heaps up the pledges of these whom he oppresses and impoverishes, and seems to increase his wealth, he does in truth “increase against himself a strong pledge,” whereby not others are debtors to him, but he is a debtor to Almighty God who careth for the oppressed Jeremiah 17:11 “He that gathereth riches had not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days and at his end shall be a fool.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 6. Shall not all these take up a parable against him — His ambition, derangement, and the final destruction of his mighty empire by the Persians, shall form the foundation of many sententious sayings among the people. "He who towered so high, behold how low he is fallen!" "He made himself a god; behold, he herds with the beasts of the field!" "The disturber of the peace of the world is now a handful of dust!"