Habakkuk 2:13
New International Version
Has not the LORD Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?

New Living Translation
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!

English Standard Version
Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing?

Berean Standard Bible
Is 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?

King James Bible
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?

New King James Version
Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts That the peoples labor to feed the fire, And nations weary themselves in vain?

New American Standard Bible
“Is it not indeed from the LORD of armies That peoples labor merely for fire, And nations become weary for nothing?

NASB 1995
“Is it not indeed from the LORD of hosts That peoples toil for fire, And nations grow weary for nothing?

NASB 1977
“Is it not indeed from the LORD of hosts That peoples toil for fire, And nations grow weary for nothing?

Legacy Standard Bible
Is it not, behold, from Yahweh of hosts That peoples toil for fire, And nations grow weary for nothing?

Amplified Bible
“Is it not indeed from the LORD of hosts That peoples labor [only] for the fire [that will destroy their work], And nations grow weary for nothing [that is, things which have no lasting value]?

Christian Standard Bible
Is it not from the LORD of Armies that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire and countries exhaust themselves for nothing?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Is it not from the LORD of Hosts that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire and countries exhaust themselves for nothing?

American Standard Version
Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
All these things are from LORD JEHOVAH of Hosts; the nations shall be afflicted in fire and the peoples shall labor in futility

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Are not these things of the Lord Almighty? surely many people have been exhausted in the fire, and many nations have fainted.

Contemporary English Version
But the LORD All-Powerful sends up in flames what nations and people work so hard to gain.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Are not these things from the Lord of hosts? for the people shall labour in a great fire: and the nations in vain, and they shall faint.

English Revised Version
Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the peoples labour for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Isn't it from the LORD of Armies that people grow tired only to feed the flames and nations exhaust themselves for nothing?

Good News Translation
The nations you conquered wore themselves out in useless labor, and all they have built goes up in flames. The LORD Almighty has done this.

International Standard Version
Is it not because of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies that people grow tired putting out fires, and nations weary themselves over nothing?

JPS Tanakh 1917
Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts That the peoples labour for the fire, And the nations weary themselves for vanity?

Literal Standard Version
Behold, is it not from YHWH of Hosts | And peoples are fatigued for fire, | And nations for vanity are weary?

Majority Standard Bible
Is 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?

New American Bible
Is this not from the LORD of hosts: peoples toil for what the flames consume, and nations grow weary for nothing!

NET Bible
Be sure of this! The LORD who commands armies has decreed: The nations' efforts will go up in smoke; their exhausting work will be for nothing.

New Revised Standard Version
Is it not from the LORD of hosts that peoples labor only to feed the flames, and nations weary themselves for nothing?

New Heart English Bible
Look, isn't it of the LORD of hosts that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts that the people shall labor in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?

World English Bible
Behold, isn’t it from Yahweh of Armies that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, is it not from Jehovah of Hosts And peoples are fatigued for fire, And nations for vanity are weary?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Woe to the Chaldeans
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? 14For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.…

Cross References
Isaiah 50:11
Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who array yourselves with firebrands, walk in the light of your fire and of the firebrands you have lit! This is what you will receive from My hand: You will lie down in a place of torment.

Jeremiah 51:58
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: "Babylon's thick walls will be leveled, and her high gates consumed by fire. So the labor of the people will be for nothing; the nations will exhaust themselves to fuel the flames."


Treasury of Scripture

Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labor in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?

is it.

Genesis 11:6-9
And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do…

2 Samuel 15:31
And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

Job 5:13,14
He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong…

for very vanity.

Jump to Previous
Almighty Armies Determined Fatigued Fire Fuel Grow Hosts Indeed Labor Nations Nought Peoples People's Pleasure Themselves Toil Using Vain Vanity Weary Working
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Almighty Armies Determined Fatigued Fire Fuel Grow Hosts Indeed Labor Nations Nought Peoples People's Pleasure Themselves Toil Using Vain Vanity Weary Working
Habakkuk 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.














(13) In the very fire . . . for very vanity. The preposition is the same in both clauses, and means "for an equivalent in." The sense is sufficiently conveyed if we render "labour only for the fire . . . weary themselves all for nothing." The same expressions occur in Jeremiah's denunciation of Babylon (Jeremiah 51:58). Both prophets predict that Jehovah shall render all this compulsory service fruitless. Jeremiah adds the explanatory clauses, "the broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire."

Verse 13. - Is it not of the Lord of hosts? Hath not God ordained that this, about to be mentioned, should be the issue of all this evil splendour? That the people shall labour in the very fire; rather, that the peoples labour for the fire; i.e. that the Chaldees and such like nations expended all this toil on cities and fortresses only to supply food for fire, which, the prophet sees, will be their end (Isaiah 40:16). Jeremiah (Jeremiah 51:58) applies these and the following words to the destruction of Babylon. This is indeed to weary themselves for very vanity. Babylon, when it was finally taken, was given over to fire and sword (comp. Jeremiah 50:32; Jeremiah 51:30, etc.).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Is it not
הֲל֣וֹא (hă·lō·w)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

indeed
הִנֵּ֔ה (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

from
מֵאֵ֖ת (mê·’êṯ)
Preposition-m | Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

the LORD
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

of Hosts
צְבָא֑וֹת (ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ)
Noun - common plural
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign

that the labor
וְיִֽיגְע֤וּ (wə·yî·ḡə·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3021: To gasp, to be exhausted, to tire, to toil

of the people
עַמִּים֙ (‘am·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

only feeds
בְּדֵי־ (bə·ḏê-)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1767: Sufficiency, enough

the fire,
אֵ֔שׁ (’êš)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

and nations
וּלְאֻמִּ֖ים (ū·lə·’um·mîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3816: A community

weary themselves
יִעָֽפוּ׃ (yi·‘ā·p̄ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3286: To be weary, faint

in
בְּדֵי־ (bə·ḏê-)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1767: Sufficiency, enough

vain?
רִ֥יק (rîq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7385: Emptiness, a worthless thing, in vain


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OT Prophets: Habakkuk 2:13 Behold isn't it of Yahweh of Armies (Hab Hb)
Habakkuk 2:12
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