Habakkuk 1 Parallel Bible Translations

Habakkuk 1 ▼
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1 THE vision which Habakkuk the prophet saw: The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. The prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received.
2 O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? I cry to thee because of the plunderers, and thou wilt not deliver! O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?
3 Why dost thou show me iniquity and deceit? For I see violence and evil; justice was on my side, but the judge accepted bribes. Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.
4 Therefore the law is slacked, and justice never goes forth; for the wicked surely does evil to the righteous; thus justice goes forth perverted. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
5 Behold, O you presumptuous, see, wonder, and be amazed! for I will do a work in your days that you would not believe if a man should declare it to you. “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. “Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.
6 For, behold, I raise up the Chaldeans, that hasty and bitter nation, who shall march through the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs. For 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. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own.
7 They are mighty and dreadful; their judgment and their notable doings proceed of themselves. They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor.
8 Their horses are swifter than eagles and more fierce than the evening wolves; and their horsemen shall swoop down and shall come from afar; they shall fly like an eagle that hastens to eat. Their 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. Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle swooping to devour;
9 They all come for plunder; the appearance of their faces is fearful, and they shall gather booty as the sand. They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand. they all come intent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand.
10 They scoff at kings, and princes they mock; and they laugh at every stronghold; for they heap up earth and capture it. At kings they scoff, and at rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it. They mock kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; by building earthen ramps they capture them.
11 Then shall his wind change and pass away, and his army shall be found guilty before his god. Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men, whose own might is their god!” Then they sweep past like the wind and go on— guilty people, whose own strength is their god.”
12 Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? Art thou without a law, O LORD? For thou hast ordained them for judgment, and thou hast created us for chastisement. Are 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. LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you will never die. You, LORD, have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.
13 Thine eyes are too pure, they do not behold evil, and thou canst not look on wicked men; why dost thou look on presumptuous men, and art silent when the wicked devours the righteous man? You 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? Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
14 And thou didst make men as the fish of the sea, as the creeping things that have no ruler over them. You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler. You have made people like the fish in the sea, like the sea creatures that have no ruler.
15 They take up all of them with the hook, they catch them in a net, and gather them in their drag; and when they gather them, they rejoice and are glad. He 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. The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad.
16 Therefore they sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their drag, because by them their portion is made rich, and their food dainty. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food.
17 Therefore they cast their net continually, they slay peoples without pity. Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever? Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?
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