| English Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. | 1The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw. |
| 2O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? | 2How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, "Violence!" Yet You do not save. |
| 3Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. | 3Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises. |
| 4So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. | 4Therefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted. |
| 5“Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. | 5"Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days-- You would not believe if you were told. |
| 6For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. | 6"For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, That fierce and impetuous people Who march throughout the earth To seize dwelling places which are not theirs. |
| 7They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. | 7"They are dreaded and feared; Their justice and authority originate with themselves. |
| 8Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour. | 8"Their horses are swifter than leopards And keener than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour. |
| 9They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand. | 9"All of them come for violence. Their horde of faces moves forward. They collect captives like sand. |
| 10At kings they scoff, and at rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it. | 10"They mock at kings And rulers are a laughing matter to them. They laugh at every fortress And heap up rubble to capture it. |
| 11Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men, whose own might is their god!” | 11"Then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, They whose strength is their god." |
| 12Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. | 12Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O LORD, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct. |
| 13You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he? | 13Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they? |
| 14You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler. | 14Why have You made men like the fish of the sea, Like creeping things without a ruler over them? |
| 15He brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is glad. | 15The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. |
| 16Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich. | 16Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large, And their food is plentiful. |
| 17Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever? | 17Will they therefore empty their net And continually slay nations without sparing? |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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