The Bible, Douay-Rheims Part 595

3:11. Therefore thou also shalt be made drunk, and shalt be despised: and thou shalt seek help from the enemies.

3:12. All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with their green figs: if they be shaken, they shall fall into the mouth of the eater.

3:13. Behold thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open to thy enemies, the fire shall devour thy bars.

3:14. Draw thee water for the siege, build up thy bulwarks: go into the clay, and tread, work it and make brick.

3:15. There shall the fire devour thee: thou shalt perish by the sword, it shall devour thee like the bruchus: a.s.semble together like the bruchus, make thyself many like the locust.

3:16. Thou hast multiplied thy merchandises above the stars of heaven: the bruchus hath spread himself and flown away.

3:17. Thy guards are like the locusts: and thy little ones like the locusts of locusts which swarm on the hedges in the day of cold: the sun arose, and they flew away, and their place was not known where they were.

Locusts of locusts... The young locusts.

3:18. Thy shepherds have slumbered, O king of a.s.syria, thy princes shall be buried: thy people are hid in the mountains, and there is none to gather them.

3:19. Thy destruction is not hidden, thy wound is grievous: all that have heard the fame of thee, have clapped their hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness pa.s.sed continually?

THE PROPHECY OF HABACUC

HABACUC was a native of Bezocher, and prophesied in JUDA, some time before the invasion of the CHALDEANS, which he foretold. He lived to see this prophecy fulfilled, and for many years after, according to the general opinion, which supposes him to be the same that was brought by the ANGEL to DANIEL in BABYLON, Dan. 14.

Habacuc Chapter 1

The prophet complains of the wickedness of the people: G.o.d reveals to him the vengeance he is going to take of them by the Chaldeans.

1:1. The burden that Habacuc the prophet saw.

Burden... Such prophecies more especially are called burdens, as threaten grievous evils and punishments.

1:2. How long, O Lord, shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? shall I cry out to thee suffering violence, and thou wilt not save?

1:3. Why hast thou shewn me iniquity and grievance, to see rapine and injustice before me? and there is a judgment, but opposition is more powerful.

1:4. Therefore the law is torn in pieces, and judgment cometh not to the end: because the wicked prevaileth against the just, therefore wrong judgment goeth forth.

1:5. Behold ye among the nations, and see: wonder, and be astonished: for a work is done in your days, which no man will believe when it shall be told.

1:6. For behold, I will raise up the Chaldeans, a bitter and swift nation, marching upon the breadth of the earth, to possess the dwelling places that are not their own.

1:7. They are dreadful, and terrible: from themselves shall their judgment, and their burden proceed.

1:8. Their horses are lighter than leopards, and swifter than evening wolves; and their hors.e.m.e.n shall be spread abroad: for their hors.e.m.e.n shall come from afar, they shall fly as an eagle that maketh haste to eat.

1:9. They shall all come to the prey, their face is like a burning wind: and they shall gather together captives as the sand.

1:10. And their prince shall triumph over kings, and princes shall be his laughingstock: and he shall laugh at every strong hold, and shall cast up a mount, and shall take it.

1:11. Then shall his spirit be changed, and he shall pa.s.s, and fall: this is his strength of his G.o.d.

Then shall his spirit, etc... Viz., the spirit of the king of Babylon.

It alludes to the judgment of G.o.d upon Nabuchodonosor, recorded Dan. 4., and to the speedy fall of the Chaldean empire.

1:12. Wast thou not from the beginning, O Lord my G.o.d, my holy one, and we shall not die? Lord, thou hast appointed him for judgment: and made him strong for correction.

1:13. Thy eyes are too pure to behold evil, and thou canst not look on iniquity. Why lookest thou upon them that do unjust things, and holdest thy peace when the wicked devoureth the man that is more just than himself?

1:14. And thou wilt make men as the fishes of the sea, and as the creeping things that have no ruler.

1:15. He lifted up all them with his hook, he drew them in his drag, and gathered them into his net: for this he will be glad and rejoice.

1:16. Therefore will he offer victims to his drag, and he will sacrifice to his net: because through them his portion is made fat, and his meat dainty.

1:17. For this cause therefore he spreadeth his net, and will not spare continually to slay the nations.

Habacuc Chapter 2

The prophet is admonished to wait with faith. The enemies of G.o.d's people shall a.s.suredly be punished.

2:1. I will stand upon my watch, and fix my foot upon the tower: and I will watch, to see what will be said to me, and what I may answer to him that reproveth me.

Will stand, etc... Waiting to see what the Lord will answer to my complaint, viz., that the Chaldeans, who are worse than the Jews, and who attribute all their success to their own strength, or to their idols, should nevertheless prevail over the people of the Lord. The Lord's answer is, that the prophet must wait with patience and faith: that all should be set right in due time; and the enemies of G.o.d and his people punished according to their deserts.

2:2. And the Lord answered me, and said: Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables: that he that readeth it may run over it.

2:3. For as yet the vision is far off, and it shall appear at the end, and shall notlie: if it make any delay, wait for it: for it shall surely come, and it shall not be slack.

2:4. Behold, he that is unbelieving, his soul shall not be right in himself: but the just shall live in his faith.

2:5. And as wine deceiveth him that drinketh it: so shall the proud man be, and he shall not be honoured: who hath enlarged his desire like h.e.l.l: and is himself like death, and he is never satisfied: but will gather together unto him all nations, and heap together unto him all people.

As wine deceiveth, etc... Viz., by affording only a short pa.s.sing pleasure; followed by the evils and disgrace that are the usual consequences of drunkenness; so shall it be with the proud enemies of the people of G.o.d; whose success affordeth them only a momentary pleasure, followed by innumerable and everlasting evils.

2:6. 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?

Thick clay... Ill-gotten goods, that, like mire, both burden and defile the soul.

2:7. Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee: and they be stirred up that shall tear thee, and thou shalt be a spoil to them?

2:8. Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all that shall be left of the people shall spoil thee: because of men's blood, and for the iniquity of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.