| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
| 1The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw. | 1The prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received. |
| 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. | 2How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? |
| 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. | 3Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. |
| 4Therefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted. | 4Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. |
| 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. | 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"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. | 6I 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 dreaded and feared; Their justice and authority originate with themselves. | 7They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. |
| 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. | 8Their 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 of them come for violence. Their horde of faces moves forward. They collect captives like sand. | 9they all come intent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. |
| 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. | 10They mock kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; by building earthen ramps they capture them. |
| 11"Then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, They whose strength is their god." | 11Then they sweep past like the wind and go on-- guilty people, whose own strength is their god." |
| 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. | 12LORD, 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. |
| 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? | 13Your 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? |
| 14Why have You made men like the fish of the sea, Like creeping things without a ruler over them? | 14You have made people like the fish in the sea, like the sea creatures that have no ruler. |
| 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. | 15The 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. |
| 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. | 16Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food. |
| 17Will they therefore empty their net And continually slay nations without sparing? | 17Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy? |
| 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 | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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