Habakkuk 1 Parallel Bible Translations

Habakkuk 1 ▼
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1 The burden that Habakkuk the prophet has seen: The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. The prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received.
2 Until when, O YHWH, have I cried, || And You do not hear? I cry to You, “Violence!” And You do not save. 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 do You show me iniquity, || And cause [me] to behold perversity? And spoiling and violence [are] before me, || And there is strife, and contention lifts [itself] up, 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 law ceases, || And judgment does not go forth forever, || For the wicked is surrounding the righteous, || Therefore wrong judgment goes forth. 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 “Look on nations, and behold and marvel greatly. For a work He is working in your days, || You do not believe though it is declared. “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 am raising up the Chaldeans, || The bitter and hasty nation, || That is going to the broad places of earth, || To occupy dwelling places not his own. 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 He [is] terrible and fearful, || His judgment and his excellence go forth from him. 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 His horses have been swifter than leopards, || And sharper than evening wolves, || And his horsemen have increased, || Even his horsemen from afar come in, || They fly as an eagle, hastening to consume. 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 All for violence—he comes in, || Their faces swallowing up the east wind, || And he gathers a captivity 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 And he scoffs at kings, || And princes [are] a laughter to him, || He laughs at every fortification, || And he heaps up dust, and captures 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 the spirit has passed on, || Indeed, he transgresses, || And [ascribes] this—his power—to 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 Are You not of old, O YHWH, my God, my Holy One? We do not die, O YHWH, || You have appointed him for judgment, || And, O Rock, You have founded him for reproof. 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 Purer of eyes than to behold evil, || You are not able to look on perverseness, || Why do You behold the treacherous? You keep silent when the wicked || Swallow the more righteous than he, 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 You make man as fishes of the sea, || As a creeping thing [with] none ruling over him. 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 He has brought up each of them with a hook, || He catches it in his net, and gathers it in his dragnet, || Therefore he delights and rejoices. 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 he sacrifices to his net, || And makes incense to his dragnet, || For by them [is] his portion fertile, and his food fat. 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 Does he therefore empty his net, || And continually not spare to slay nations? 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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