| New King James Version | King James Bible |
| 1The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. | 1The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. |
| 2O LORD, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save. | 2O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! |
| 3Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises. | 3Why 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. |
| 4Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds. | 4Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth. |
| 5“Look among the nations and watch— Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you. | 5Behold 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. |
| 6For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs. | 6For, 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. |
| 7They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. | 7They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves. |
| 8Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. | 8Their 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 all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. They gather captives like sand. | 9They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand. |
| 10They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it. | 10And 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. |
| 11Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.” | 11Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god. |
| 12Are You not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction. | 12Art 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. |
| 13You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he? | 13Thou 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? |
| 14Why do You make men like fish of the sea, Like creeping things that have no ruler over them? | 14And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them? |
| 15They take up all of them with a hook, They catch them in their net, And gather them in their dragnet. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. | 15They 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. |
| 16Therefore they sacrifice to their net, And burn incense to their dragnet; Because by them their share is sumptuous And their food plentiful. | 16Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous. |
| 17Shall they therefore empty their net, And continue to slay nations without pity? | 17Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations? |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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