Habakkuk 1:12-17

New International Reader's Version

¹² Lord, haven’t you existed forever?
    You are my holy God.
    You will never die.
Lord, you have appointed the Babylonians
    to punish your people.
    My Rock, you have chosen them to judge us.
¹³ Your eyes are too pure to look at what is evil.
    You can’t put up with the wrong things people do.
So why do you put up
    with those who can’t be trusted?
The evil Babylonians swallow up
    those who are more godly than themselves.
    So why are you silent?
¹⁴ You have made people to be like the fish in the sea.
    They are like the sea creatures that don’t have a ruler.
¹⁵ The evil Babylonians pull all of them up with hooks.
    They catch them in their nets.
They gather them up.
    So they celebrate.
    They are glad.
¹⁶ They offer sacrifices to their nets.
    They burn incense to them.
Their nets allow them to live in great comfort.
    They enjoy the finest food.
¹⁷ Are you going to let them
    keep on emptying their nets?
Will they go on destroying nations
    without showing them any mercy?