Add parallel Print Page Options

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).

Habakkuk’s Second Prayer

12 Are you not from eternity, Lord my God?(A)
My Holy One,(B) you[a] will not die.
Lord, you appointed them to execute judgment;
my Rock,(C) you destined them to punish us.
13 Your eyes(D) are too pure(E) to look on evil,
and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous?(F)
Why are you silent
while one[b] who is wicked swallows up
one[c] who is more righteous than himself?
14 You have made mankind
like the fish of the sea,(G)
like marine creatures that have no ruler.
15 The Chaldeans pull them all up with a hook,
catch them in their dragnet,(H)
and gather them in their fishing net;
that is why they are glad and rejoice.
16 That is why they sacrifice to their dragnet
and burn incense to their fishing net,
for by these things their portion is rich
and their food plentiful.(I)
17 Will they therefore empty their net
and continually slaughter nations without mercy?

Habakkuk Waits for God’s Response

I will stand at my guard post
and station myself on the lookout tower.(J)
I will watch to see what he will say to me(K)
and what I should[d] reply about my complaint.

Footnotes

  1. 1:12 Alt Hb tradition reads we
  2. 1:13 = Babylon
  3. 1:13 = Judah
  4. 2:1 Syr reads what he will