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12 Aren’t you from everlasting, Yahweh my God,[a] my Holy One? We will not die. Yahweh, you have appointed him for judgment. You, Rock, have established him to punish. 13 You who have purer eyes than to see evil, and who cannot look on perversity, why do you tolerate those who deal treacherously, and keep silent when the wicked swallows up the man who is more righteous than he, 14 and make men like the fish of the sea, like the creeping things, that have no ruler over them? 15 He takes up all of them with the hook. He catches them in his net, and gathers them in his dragnet. Therefore he rejoices and is glad. 16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net, and burns incense to his dragnet, because by them his life is luxurious, and his food is good. 17 Will he therefore continually empty his net, and kill the nations without mercy?

I will stand at my watch, and set myself on the ramparts, and will look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

Footnotes

  1. 1:12 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).

12 Are You not from (A)time everlasting,
Lord, my God, my Holy One?
We will not die.
You, Lord, have (B)appointed them to deliver judgment;
And You, O (C)Rock, have destined them to punish.
13 Your eyes are too (D)pure to look at evil,
And You cannot look at harm favorably.
Why do You (E)look favorably
At those who deal (F)treacherously?
Why are You (G)silent when the wicked (H)swallow up
Those more righteous than they?
14 Why have You made people like the fish of the sea,
Like crawling things that have no ruler over them?
15 The Chaldeans (I)bring all of them up with a hook,
(J)Drag them away with their net,
And gather them together in their fishing net.
Therefore they rejoice and are joyful.
16 Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net
And [a]burn incense to their fishing net,
Because through (K)these things their [b]catch is [c]large,
And their food is [d]plentiful.
17 Will they therefore empty their (L)net,
And continually (M)slay nations without sparing?

God Answers the Prophet

I will (N)stand at my guard post
And station myself on the watchtower;
And I will (O)keep watch to see (P)what He will say to me,
And how I may reply [e]when I am reprimanded.

Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 1:16 Or sacrifice
  2. Habakkuk 1:16 Lit portion
  3. Habakkuk 1:16 Lit fat; or plentiful
  4. Habakkuk 1:16 Lit fat
  5. Habakkuk 2:1 Lit upon my reprimand

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