1:17 Will he then 1 continue to fill and empty his throw net? 2
Will he always 3 destroy 4 nations and spare none? 5
1:13 You are too just 6 to tolerate 7 evil;
you are unable to condone 8 wrongdoing.
So why do you put up with such treacherous people? 9
Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour 10 those more righteous than they are? 11
2:17 For you will pay in full for your violent acts against Lebanon; 12
terrifying judgment will come upon you because of the way you destroyed the wild animals living there. 13
You have shed human blood
and committed violent acts against lands, cities, and those who live in them.
2:10 Your schemes will bring shame to your house.
Because you destroyed many nations, you will self-destruct. 14
3:14 You pierce the heads of his warriors 15 with a spear. 16
They storm forward to scatter us; 17
they shout with joy as if they were plundering the poor with no opposition. 18
2:8 Because you robbed many countries, 19
all who are left among the nations 20 will rob you.
You have shed human blood
and committed violent acts against lands, cities, 21 and those who live in them.
2:16 But you will become drunk 22 with shame, not majesty. 23
Now it is your turn to drink and expose your uncircumcised foreskin! 24
The cup of wine in the Lord’s right hand 25 is coming to you,
and disgrace will replace your majestic glory!
1 tn Or “therefore.”
2 tn Heb “Will he then empty his throw net?” The words “continue to fill and” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
3 tn Or “continually.”
4 tn Heb “kill.”
5 tn Or “without showing compassion.”
6 tn Heb “[you] are too pure of eyes.” God’s “eyes” here signify what he looks at with approval. His “eyes” are “pure” in that he refuses to tolerate any wrongdoing in his presence.
7 tn Heb “to see.” Here “see” is figurative for “tolerate,” “put up with.”
8 tn Heb “to look at.” Cf. NEB “who canst not countenance wrongdoing”; NASB “You can not look on wickedness with favor.”
9 tn Heb “Why do you look at treacherous ones?” The verb בָּגַד (bagad, “be treacherous”) is often used of those who are disloyal or who violate agreements. See S. Erlandsson, TDOT 1:470-73.
10 tn Or “swallow up.”
11 tn Heb “more innocent than themselves.”
11 tn Heb “for the violence against Lebanon will cover you.”
12 tc The Hebrew appears to read literally, “and the violence against the animals [which] he terrified.” The verb form יְחִיתַן (yÿkhitan) appears to be a Hiphil imperfect third masculine singular with third feminine plural suffix (the antecedent being the animals) from חָתַת (khatat, “be terrified”). The translation above follows the LXX and assumes a reading יְחִתֶּךָ (yÿkhittekha, “[the violence against the animals] will terrify you”; cf. NRSV “the destruction of the animals will terrify you”; NIV “and your destruction of animals will terrify you”). In this case the verb is a Hiphil imperfect third masculine singular with second masculine singular suffix (the antecedent being Babylon). This provides better symmetry with the preceding line, where Babylon’s violence is the subject of the verb “cover.”
16 tn Heb “you planned shame for your house, cutting off many nations, and sinning [against] your life.”
21 tn Some take “warriors” with the following line, in which case one should translate, “you pierce [his] head with a spear; his warriors storm forward to scatter us” (cf. NIV). The meaning of the Hebrew term פְּרָזוֹ (pÿrazo), translated here “his warriors,” is uncertain.
22 tc Heb “his shafts.” Some emend to “your shafts.” The translation above assumes an emendation to מַטֶּה (matteh, “shaft, spear”), the vav-yod (ו-י) sequence being a corruption of an original he (ה).
23 tn Heb “me,” but the author speaks as a representative of God’s people.
24 tn Heb “their rejoicing is like devouring the poor in secret.”
26 tn Or “nations.”
27 tn Or “peoples.”
28 tn Heb “because of the shed blood of humankind and violence against land, city.” The singular forms אֶרֶץ (’erets, “land”) and קִרְיָה (qiryah, “city”) are collective, referring to all the lands and cities terrorized by the Babylonians.
31 tn Heb “are filled.” The translation assumes the verbal form is a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of Babylon’s coming judgment, which will reduce the majestic empire to shame and humiliation.
32 tn Or “glory.”
33 tc Heb “drink, even you, and show the foreskin.” Instead of הֵעָרֵל (he’arel, “show the foreskin”) one of the Dead Sea scrolls has הֵרָעֵל (hera’el, “stumble”). This reading also has support from several ancient versions and is followed by the NEB (“you too shall drink until you stagger”) and NRSV (“Drink, you yourself, and stagger”). For a defense of the Hebrew text, see P. D. Miller, Jr., Sin and Judgment in the Prophets, 63-64.
34 sn The Lord’s right hand represents his military power. He will force the Babylonians to experience the same humiliating defeat they inflicted on others.