Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
1 The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.
1
The oracle that the prophet Habakkuk saw.
2 LORD, how long will I call for help and you not listen? I cry out to you, "Violence!" but you don't deliver us.
2
O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save?
3 Why do you show me injustice and look at anguish so that devastation and violence are before me? There is strife, and conflict abounds.
3
Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.
4 The Instruction is ineffective. Justice does not endure because the wicked surround the righteous. Justice becomes warped.
4
So the law becomes slack and justice never prevails. The wicked surround the righteous— therefore judgment comes forth perverted.
5 Look among the nations and watch! Be astonished and stare because something is happening in your days that you wouldn't believe even if told.
5
Look at the nations, and see! Be astonished! Be astounded! For a work is being done in your days that you would not believe if you were told.
6 I am about to rouse the Chaldeans, that bitter and impetuous nation, which travels throughout the earth to possess dwelling places it does not own.
6
For I am rousing the Chaldeans, that fierce and impetuous nation, who march through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own.
7 The Chaldean is dreadful and fearful. He makes his own justice and dignity.
7
Dread and fearsome are they; their justice and dignity proceed from themselves.
8 His horses are faster than leopards; they are quicker than wolves of the evening. His horsemen charge forward; his horsemen come from far away. They fly in to devour, swiftly, like an eagle.
8
Their horses are swifter than leopards, more menacing than wolves at dusk; their horses charge. Their horsemen come from far away; they fly like an eagle swift to devour.
9 They come for violence, the horde with all their faces set toward the desert. He takes captives like sand.
9
They all come for violence, with faces pressing forward; they gather captives like sand.
10 He makes fun of kings; rulers are ridiculous to him. He laughs at every fortress, then he piles up dirt and takes it.
10
At kings they scoff, and of rulers they make sport. They laugh at every fortress, and heap up earth to take it.
11 He passes through like the wind and invades; but he will be held guilty, the one whose strength is his god.
11
Then they sweep by like the wind; they transgress and become guilty; their own might is their god!
12 LORD, aren't you ancient, my God, my holy one? Don't let us die. LORD, you put the Chaldean here for judgment. Rock, you established him as a rebuke.
12
Are you not from of old, O Lord my God, my Holy One? You shall not die. O Lord, you have marked them for judgment; and you, O Rock, have established them for punishment.
13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you are unable to look at disaster. Why would you look at the treacherous or keep silent when the wicked swallows one who is more righteous?
13
Your eyes are too pure to behold evil, and you cannot look on wrongdoing; why do you look on the treacherous, and are silent when the wicked swallow those more righteous than they?
14 You made humans like the fish of the sea, like creeping things with no one to rule over them.
14
You have made people like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler.
15 The Chaldean brings all of them up with a fishhook. He drags them away with a net; he collects them in his fishing net, then he rejoices and celebrates.
15
The enemy brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net, he gathers them in his seine; so he rejoices and exults.
16 Therefore, he sacrifices to his net; he burns incense to his fishing nets, because due to them his portion grows fat and his food becomes luxurious.
16
Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his seine; for by them his portion is lavish, and his food is rich.
17 Should he continue to empty his net and continue to slay nations without sparing them?
17
Is he then to keep on emptying his net, and destroying nations without mercy?
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.