Habakkuk 1

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Text

Hebrew

1
2
3
4
5
6	לֽוֹ
7
8
9
10	ל֑וֹ
11
12
13
14	בּֽוֹ
15
16
17

ESV

1	The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.
2	O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?
3	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.
4	So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth 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.
6	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.
7	They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves.
8	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.
9	They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand.
10	At kings they scoff, and at rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it.
11	Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men, whose own might is their god!“
12	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.
13	You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and are silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?
14	You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler.
15	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.
16	Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich.
17	Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever?

NIV

1	The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received.
2	How long, O 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 make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.
4	Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
5	“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	I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own.
7	They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor.
8	Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like a vulture swooping to devour;
9	they all come bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand.
10	They deride kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; they build earthen ramps and capture them.
11	Then they sweep past like the wind and go on- guilty men, whose own strength is their god.“
12	O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish.
13	Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
14	You have made men like fish in the sea, like sea creatures that have no ruler.
15	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 burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food.
17	Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?

NLT

1	This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received in a vision.
2	How long, O LORD, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save.
3	Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight.
4	The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted.
5	The LORD replied, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it.
6	I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and violent people. They will march across the world and conquer other lands.
7	They are notorious for their cruelty and do whatever they like.
8	Their horses are swifter than cheetahs and fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their charioteers charge from far away. Like eagles, they swoop down to devour their prey.
9	“On they come, all bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind, sweeping captives ahead of them like sand.
10	They scoff at kings and princes and scorn all their fortresses. They simply pile ramps of earth against their walls and capture them!
11	They sweep past like the wind and are gone. But they are deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god.“
12	O LORD my God, my Holy One, you who are eternal– surely you do not plan to wipe us out? O LORD,] our Rock, you have sent these Babylonians to correct us, to punish us for our many sins.
13	But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. Will you wink at their treachery? Should you be silent while the wicked swallow up people more righteous than they?
14	Are we only fish to be caught and killed? Are we only sea creatures that have no leader?
15	Must we be strung up on their hooks and caught in their nets while they rejoice and celebrate?
16	Then they will worship their nets and burn incense in front of them. “These nets are the gods who have made us rich!” they will claim.
17	Will you let them get away with this forever? Will they succeed forever in their heartless conquests?

LXX

1	λῆμμα Αμβακουμ
2
3	γέγονεν
4	διεσκέδασται ἕνεκεν
5	καταφρονηταί τις
6	μαχητάς
7	λῆμμα
8	ἐξιππάσονται
9
10	παίγνια χῶμα
11	ἐξιλάσεται
12
13	παρασιωπήσῃ
14
15	εἵλκυσεν σαγήναις ἕνεκεν
16	ἕνεκεν ἐλίπανεν
17	ἀμφιβαλεῖ

KJV

1	The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.
2	O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
3	Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.
4	Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.
5	Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
6	For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
7	They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.
8	Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.
9	They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.
10	And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.
11	Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.
12	Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.
13	Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
14	And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
15	They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad.
16	Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.
17	Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?

Nahum 3 ← Habakkuk 1 → Habakkuk 2

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