# General Information:

Yahweh continues to answer Habakkuk and to speak of the Chaldeans as if they were one man. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])

# Will all these not take up ... saying, 'Woe ... taken?'

The words "all these" refer to the nations and peoples from [Habakkuk 2:5](../02/05.md). This negative rhetorical question emphasizes the positive answer. It can be translated as a statement. Alternate translation: "All of these nations and peoples will certainly take up ... saying,'Woe ... taken.'" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])

# take up a proverb and mockery, riddles

They will use the words later in the verse to mock him.

# riddles

This is a question to which the one who asks knows the answer but hides it with figures of speech so that the other person needs to work hard to think of it.

# Woe to the one increasing what is not his

It is implicit that he is increasing his possession of things that do not belong to him. Alternate translation: "Woe to the one who claims for himself more and more things that do not belong to him" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit]])

# For how long will you increase the weight of the pledges you have taken?

The word "pledges" refers to objects that people give to others from whom they have borrowed money as a guarantee that they will repay their debt. As the man collects more and more pledges, the total weight of the pledges that he carries increases.

# For how long will you increase the weight of the pledges you have taken?

The Chaldeans robbing the people of the nations of their wealth is spoken of as if the Chaldeans were a person who forces others to give him pledges and to pay him what they do not owe. Alternate translation: "For how long will you make yourself rich by extorting others?" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])

