Habakkuk 1:2-3

1:2 How long, Lord, must I cry for help?

But you do not listen!

I call out to you, “Violence!”

But you do not intervene! ¹ 

1:3 Why do you force me to witness injustice? ² 

Why do you put up with wrongdoing? ³ 

Destruction and violence confront ⁴  me;

conflict is present and one must endure strife. ⁵ 

Habakkuk 1:13

1:13 You are too just ⁶  to tolerate ⁷  evil;

you are unable to condone ⁸  wrongdoing.

So why do you put up with such treacherous people? ⁹ 

Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour ¹⁰  those more righteous than they are? ¹¹ 

[1:2]  ¹ tn Or “deliver.”

[1:3]  ² tn Heb “Why do you make me see injustice?”

[1:3]  ³ tn Heb “Why do you look at wrongdoing?”

[1:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “are before.”

[1:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “and there is conflict and strife he lifts up.” The present translation takes the verb יִשָּׂא (yisa’) in the sense of “carry, bear,” and understands the subject to be indefinite (“one”).

[1:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “[you] are too pure of eyes.” God’s “eyes” here signify what he looks at with approval. His “eyes” are “pure” in that he refuses to tolerate any wrongdoing in his presence.

[1:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “to see.” Here “see” is figurative for “tolerate,” “put up with.”

[1:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “to look at.” Cf. NEB “who canst not countenance wrongdoing”; NASB “You can not look on wickedness with favor.”

[1:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “Why do you look at treacherous ones?” The verb בָּגַד (bagad, “be treacherous”) is often used of those who are disloyal or who violate agreements. See S. Erlandsson, TDOT 1:470-73.

[1:13]  ¹⁰ tn Or “swallow up.”

[1:13]  ¹¹ tn Heb “more innocent than themselves.”