Habakkuk 1:12-2:1
English Standard Version
Habakkuk's Second Complaint
12 Are you not (A)from everlasting,
O Lord my God, my Holy One?
(B)We shall not die.
O Lord, (C)you have ordained them as a judgment,
and you, O (D)Rock, have established them for reproof.
13 You who are (E)of purer eyes than to see evil
and cannot look at wrong,
(F)why do you idly look at traitors
and (G)remain silent when the wicked swallows up
the man more righteous than he?
14 You make mankind like the fish of the sea,
like crawling things that have no ruler.
15 (H)He[a] brings all of them up (I)with a hook;
he drags them out with his net;
he gathers them in his dragnet;
so he rejoices and is glad.
16 (J)Therefore he sacrifices to his net
and makes offerings to his dragnet;
for by them he lives in luxury,[b]
and his food is rich.
17 Is he then to keep on emptying his net
(K)and mercilessly killing nations forever?
2 I will (L)take my stand at my watchpost
and station myself on the tower,
and (M)look out to see (N)what he will say to me,
and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 1:15 That is, the wicked foe
- Habakkuk 1:16 Hebrew his portion is fat
Habakkuk 1:12-2:1
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Habakkuk’s Second Prayer
12 Are You not from eternity, Yahweh my God?
My Holy One,(A) You[a] will not die.
Lord, You appointed them to execute judgment;
my Rock,(B) You destined them to punish us.
13 Your eyes(C) are too pure(D) to look on evil,
and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
So why do You tolerate those who are treacherous?(E)
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,(F)
like marine creatures that have no ruler.
15 The Chaldeans pull them all up with a hook,
catch them in their dragnet,(G)
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.(H)
17 Will they therefore empty their net[d]
and continually slaughter nations without mercy?
Habakkuk Waits for God’s Response
2 I will stand at my guard post
and station myself on the lookout tower.(I)
I will watch to see what He will say to me(J)
and what I should[e] reply about my complaint.
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 1:12 Ancient Jewish tradition reads we
- Habakkuk 1:13 = Babylon
- Habakkuk 1:13 = Judah
- Habakkuk 1:17 DSS read sword
- Habakkuk 2:1 Syr reads what He will
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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