| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. | 1The following is the message which God revealed to Habakkuk the prophet: |
| 2How long, LORD, must I call for help and You do not listen or cry out to You about violence and You do not save? | 2How long, LORD, must I cry for help? But you do not listen! I call out to you, "Violence!" But you do not intervene! |
| 3Why do You force me to look at injustice? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Oppression and violence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates. | 3Why do you force me to witness injustice? Why do you put up with wrongdoing? Destruction and violence confront me; conflict is present and one must endure strife. |
| 4This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted. | 4For this reason the law lacks power, and justice is never carried out. Indeed, the wicked intimidate the innocent. For this reason justice is perverted. |
| 5Look at the nations and observe-- be utterly astounded! For something is taking place in your days that you will not believe when you hear about it. | 5"Look at the nations and pay attention! You will be shocked and amazed! For I will do something in your lifetime that you will not believe even though you are forewarned. |
| 6Look! I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter, impetuous nation that marches across the earth's open spaces to seize territories not its own. | 6Look, I am about to empower the Babylonians, that ruthless and greedy nation. They sweep across the surface of the earth, seizing dwelling places that do not belong to them. |
| 7They are fierce and terrifying; their views of justice and sovereignty stem from themselves. | 7They are frightening and terrifying; they decide for themselves what is right. |
| 8Their horses are swifter than leopards and more fierce than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead; their horsemen come from distant lands. They fly like an eagle, swooping to devour. | 8Their horses are faster than leopards and more alert than wolves in the desert. Their horses gallop, their horses come a great distance; like a vulture they swoop down quickly to devour their prey. |
| 9All of them come to do violence; their faces are set in determination. They gather prisoners like sand. | 9All of them intend to do violence; every face is determined. They take prisoners as easily as one scoops up sand. |
| 10They mock kings, and rulers are a joke to them. They laugh at every fortress and build siege ramps to capture it. | 10They mock kings and laugh at rulers. They laugh at every fortified city; they build siege ramps and capture them. |
| 11Then they sweep by like the wind and pass through. They are guilty; their strength is their god. | 11They sweep by like the wind and pass on. But the one who considers himself a god will be held guilty." |
| 12Are You not from eternity, Yahweh my God? My Holy One, You will not die. LORD, You appointed them to execute judgment; my Rock, You destined them to punish us. | 12LORD, you have been active from ancient times; my sovereign God, you are immortal. LORD, you have made them your instrument of judgment. Protector, you have appointed them as your instrument of punishment. |
| 13Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate those who are treacherous? Why are You silent while one who is wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than himself? | 13You are too just to tolerate evil; you are unable to condone wrongdoing. So why do you put up with such treacherous people? Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour those more righteous than they are? |
| 14You have made mankind like the fish of the sea, like marine creatures that have no ruler. | 14You made people like fish in the sea, like animals in the sea that have no ruler. |
| 15The Chaldeans pull them all up with a hook, catch them in their dragnet, and gather them in their fishing net; that is why they are glad and rejoice. | 15The Babylonian tyrant pulls them all up with a fishhook; he hauls them in with his throw net. When he catches them in his dragnet, he is very happy. |
| 16That 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. | 16Because of his success he offers sacrifices to his throw net and burns incense to his dragnet; for because of them he has plenty of food, and more than enough to eat. |
| 17Will they therefore empty their net and continually slaughter nations without mercy? | 17Will he then continue to fill and empty his throw net? Will he always destroy nations and spare none? |
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