| English Standard Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. | 1The pronouncement that the prophet Habakkuk 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, LORD, must I call for help and you do not listen or cry out to you about violence and 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 force me to look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Oppression and violence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates. |
| 4So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. | 4This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict 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. | 5Look at the nations and observe--be utterly astounded! For I am doing something in your days that you will not believe when you hear about it. |
| 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. | 6Look! I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter, impetuous nation that marches across the earth's open spaces to seize territories not its own. |
| 7They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. | 7They are fierce and terrifying; their views of justice and sovereignty stem from 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. | 8Their horses are swifter than leopards and more fierce than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead; their horsemen come from distant lands. They fly like eagles, swooping to devour. |
| 9They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand. | 9All of them come to do violence; their faces are set in determination. They gather prisoners like sand. |
| 10At kings they scoff, and at rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it. | 10They mock kings, and rulers are a joke to them. They laugh at every fortress and build siege ramps to capture it. |
| 11Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men, whose own might is their god!” | 11Then they sweep by like the wind and pass through. They are guilty; their 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 eternity, LORD my God? My Holy One, you will not die. LORD, you appointed them to execute judgment; my Rock, you destined them to punish us. |
| 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 look on evil, and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous? Why are you silent while one who is wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than himself? |
| 14You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler. | 14You have made mankind like the fish of the sea, like marine creatures that have no ruler. |
| 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 pull them all up with a hook, catch them in their dragnet, and gather them in their fishing net; that is why they are glad and rejoice. |
| 16Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich. | 16That is why they sacrifice to their dragnet and burn incense to their fishing net, for by these things their portion is rich and their food plentiful. |
| 17Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever? | 17Will they therefore empty their net and continually slaughter nations without mercy? |
| 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. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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