Add parallel Print Page Options

Habakkuk Complains Again

12 Lord, ·you live forever [L are you not from everlasting…?],
    my God, my holy God.
    We will not die.
Lord, you ·have chosen the Babylonians to punish people [appointed them for judgment];
    our Rock [Ps. 61:2], you picked them to punish.
13 Your eyes are too ·good [pure] to look at evil;
    you cannot ·stand to see [tolerate; look on] those who do wrong.
So how can you put up with those ·evil [treacherous] people?
    How can you be quiet when the wicked swallow up people who are ·better [more righteous] than they are?
14 You ·treat [or made] people like fish in the sea,
    like sea animals without a ·leader [ruler].
15 ·The enemy [L He] brings them in with hooks.
    He catches them in his net
and ·drags [gathers] them in his ·fishnet [dragnet].
    So he rejoices and ·sings for joy [is glad].
16 The enemy offers sacrifices to his net
    and burns incense to ·worship it [L his dragnet],
because it lets him live ·like the rich [in luxury]
    and enjoy ·the best [or plentiful] food.
17 Will he keep on ·taking riches with [L emptying] his net?
    Will he go on destroying ·people [nations] without showing mercy?

I will stand like a guard to watch
    and ·place [station] myself at the tower.
I will wait to see what he will say to me;
    I will wait to learn how ·God will answer [or I will answer concerning] my complaint.

Habakkuk’s Second Complaint

12 Lord, are you not from everlasting?(A)
    My God, my Holy One,(B) you[a] will never die.(C)
You, Lord, have appointed(D) them to execute judgment;
    you, my Rock,(E) have ordained them to punish.
13 Your eyes are too pure(F) to look on evil;
    you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.(G)
Why then do you tolerate(H) the treacherous?(I)
    Why are you silent while the wicked
    swallow up those more righteous than themselves?(J)
14 You have made people like the fish in the sea,
    like the sea creatures that have no ruler.
15 The wicked(K) foe pulls all of them up with hooks,(L)
    he catches them in his net,(M)
he gathers them up in his dragnet;
    and so he rejoices and is glad.
16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net
    and burns incense(N) 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?(O)

I will stand at my watch(P)
    and station myself on the ramparts;(Q)
I will look to see what he will say(R) to me,
    and what answer I am to give to this complaint.[b](S)

Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 1:12 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition; Masoretic Text we
  2. Habakkuk 2:1 Or and what to answer when I am rebuked