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Habakkuk Complains Again

12 Holy Lord God, mighty rock,[a]
you are eternal,
    and we[b] are safe from death.
You are using those Babylonians
    to judge and punish others.[c]
13 But you can't stand sin or wrong.
So don't sit by in silence
    while they gobble up people
who are better than they are.

14 The people you put on this earth
are like fish or reptiles
    without a leader.

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Footnotes

  1. 1.12 mighty rock: The Hebrew text has “rock,” which is sometimes used in poetry to compare the Lord to a mountain where his people can run for protection from their enemies.
  2. 1.12 we: Hebrew; one ancient Jewish tradition “you.”
  3. 1.12 You … others: Or “You will judge and punish those Babylonians.”

Habakkuk’s Second Complaint

12 Lord, are you not from everlasting?(A)
    My God, my Holy One,(B) you[a] will never die.(C)
You, Lord, have appointed(D) them to execute judgment;
    you, my Rock,(E) have ordained them to punish.
13 Your eyes are too pure(F) to look on evil;
    you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.(G)
Why then do you tolerate(H) the treacherous?(I)
    Why are you silent while the wicked
    swallow up those more righteous than themselves?(J)
14 You have made people like the fish in the sea,
    like the sea creatures that have no ruler.

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Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 1:12 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition; Masoretic Text we