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Wednesday, October 30th, 2024
the Week of Proper 25 / Ordinary 30
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New Living Translation

Habakkuk 1:3

Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God Continued...;   Minister, Christian;   Punishment;   Strife;   Wicked (People);   Zeal, Religious;   Thompson Chain Reference - Contentiousness;   Dissention;   Unity-Strife;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Strife;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Fire;   Habakkuk;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Justice;   Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Habakkuk;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Suffering;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Habakkuk;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Grievance;   Habakkuk;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Job, the Book of;   Optimism and Pessimism;   Wolf;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for January 31;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
People are stealing things and hurting others. They are arguing and fighting. Why do you make me look at these terrible things?
New American Standard Bible
Why do You make me see disaster, And make me look at destitution? Yes, devastation and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises.
New Century Version
Why do you make me see wrong things and make me look at trouble? People are destroying things and hurting others in front of me; they are arguing and fighting.
Update Bible Version
Why do you show me iniquity, and look at perverseness? for destruction and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention rises up.
Webster's Bible Translation
Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause [me] to behold grievance? for devastation and violence [are] before me: and there are [that] raise strife and contention.
Amplified Bible
Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? For destruction and violence are before me; Strife continues and contention arises.
English Standard Version
Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.
World English Bible
Why do you show me iniquity, and look at perversity? For destruction and violence are before me. There is strife, and contention rises up.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whi schewidist thou to me wickidnesse and trauel, for to se prey and vnriytwisnesse ayens me? Whi biholdist thou dispiseris, and art stille, the while an vnpitouse man defoulith a riytfulere than hym silf? And thou schalt make men as fischis of the see, and as crepynge thingis not hauynge a ledere; and doom is maad, and ayenseiyng is more miyti.
English Revised Version
Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and look upon perverseness? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there is strife, and contention riseth up.
Berean Standard Bible
Why do You make me see iniquity? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds.
Contemporary English Version
Why do you make me watch such terrible injustice? Why do you allow violence, lawlessness, crime, and cruelty to spread everywhere?
American Standard Version
Why dost thou show me iniquity, and look upon perverseness? for destruction and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up.
Bible in Basic English
Why do you make me see evil-doing, and why are my eyes fixed on wrong? for wasting and violent acts are before me: and there is fighting and bitter argument.
Complete Jewish Bible
Why do you make me see wrongdoing, why do you permit oppression? Pillage and cruelty confront me, so that strife and discord prevail.
Darby Translation
Why dost thou cause me to see iniquity, and lookest thou upon grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Why dost Thou show me iniquity, and beholdest mischief? And why are spoiling and violence before me? so that there is strife, and contention ariseth.
King James Version (1611)
Why doest thou shew me iniquity, & cause me to behold grieuance? for spoiling and violence are before me: & there are that raise vp strife and contention.
New Life Bible
Why do you make me see sins and wrong-doing? People are being destroyed in anger in front of me. There is arguing and fighting.
New Revised Standard
Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Why doest thou shewe mee iniquitie, and cause me to beholde sorowe? for spoyling, and violence are before me: and there are that rayse vp strife and contention.
George Lamsa Translation
Why dost thou show me iniquity and deceit? For I see violence and evil; justice was on my side, but the judge accepted bribes.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Wherefore shouldst thou let me see iniquity, and, wrong, shouldst let me behold, and, force and violence, be straight before me, - and there should have ever been someone who, contention and strife, would uphold?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Why hast thou shewn me iniquity and grievance, to see rapine and injustice before me? and there is a judgment, but opposition is more powerful.
Revised Standard Version
Why dost thou make me see wrongs and look upon trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Why doest thou shew me iniquitie, and cause me to beholde sorowe? for spoyling and violence are before me, & there are that rayse vp stryfe and contention,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Wherefore hast thou shown me troubles and griefs to look upon, misery and ungodliness? judgment is before me, and the judge receives a reward.
Good News Translation
Why do you make me see such trouble? How can you stand to look on such wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are all around me, and there is fighting and quarreling everywhere.
Christian Standard Bible®
Why 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.
Hebrew Names Version
Why do you show me iniquity, and look at perversity? For destruction and violence are before me. There is strife, and contention rises up.
King James Version
Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.
Lexham English Bible
Why do you cause me to see evil while you look at trouble? Destruction and violence happen before me; contention and strife arise.
Literal Translation
Why do You make me see evil, and You look upon toil? For destruction and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention rises up.
Young's Literal Translation
Why dost Thou shew me iniquity, And perversity dost cause to behold? And spoiling and violence [are] before me, And there is strife, and contention doth lift [itself] up,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Why lettest thou me se weerynesse and laboure? Tyrany and violence are before me, power ouergoeth right:
New English Translation
Why 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.
New King James Version
Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises.
Legacy Standard Bible
Why do You make me see wickednessAnd cause me to look on trouble?Indeed, devastation and violence are before me;And there is strife, and contention is lifted up.

Contextual Overview

1 This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received in a vision. 2 How long, O Lord , must I call for help? But you do not listen! "Violence is everywhere!" I cry, but you do not come to save. 3 Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. 4 The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Psalms 12:1, Psalms 12:2, Psalms 55:9-11, Psalms 73:3-9, Psalms 120:5, Psalms 120:6, Ecclesiastes 4:1, Ecclesiastes 5:8, Jeremiah 9:2-6, Ezekiel 2:6, Micah 7:1-4, Matthew 10:16, 2 Peter 2:8

Reciprocal: Job 19:7 - I cry Psalms 140:1 - violent man Ecclesiastes 2:17 - work Isaiah 24:16 - the treacherous Amos 6:12 - for Habakkuk 1:13 - the wicked Zephaniah 3:5 - just Acts 21:35 - for James 3:14 - if

Cross-References

Job 36:30
See how he spreads the lightning around him and how it lights up the depths of the sea.
Job 38:19
"Where does light come from, and where does darkness go?
Psalms 33:6
The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.
Psalms 33:9
For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.
Psalms 97:11
Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right.
Psalms 104:2
You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;
Psalms 118:27
The Lord is God, shining upon us. Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.
Psalms 148:5
Let every created thing give praise to the Lord , for he issued his command, and they came into being.
Isaiah 45:7
I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord , am the one who does these things.
Isaiah 60:19
"No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause [me] to behold grievance?.... That is, wicked men, and such as give a great deal of trouble vexation, and grief to others, by their rapine and oppression; suggesting that he could not turn his eyes any where, but such persons presented themselves to his view; and that their wicked actions were performed by them openly and publicly, in the sight of all, without any shame or fear. So the Targum,

"why do I see oppressors, and behold those that do the labour of falsehood?''

For spoiling and violence [are] before me; in my sight and presence, though a prophet, and notwithstanding all my remonstrances, exhortations, and reproofs; such were the hardness, obstinacy, and impudence of this people; to such a height and pitch of iniquity were they arrived, as to regard not the prophets of the Lord. The Targum is,

"spoilers and robbers are before me:''

or, "against me" q, as in the text; these sins were committed against him, he was injuriously used himself; or they were done to others, contrary to his advice and persuasion:

and there are [that] raise up strife and contention; in the kingdom, in cities, in families; in one man, brother, friend, and neighbour, against another; which occasion lawsuits, and in them justice is not done, as follows. It may be rendered, and "there shall be [and] is [a man] of strife"; so Japhet: "and he shall raise up contention"; one man given to strife will and does use great contention in communities, civil and religious.

q לנגדי "contra me", Pagninus, Montanus; "e regione mei", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Tarnovius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Why dost Thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold - , or rather, “Why beholdest Thou grievance?” God seemed to reverse what He had said by Balaam Numbers 23:21, “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, and hath not seen grievousness in Israel”; and in the Psalms Psalms 10:14, “Thou hast seen, for thou (emphatic) beholdest grievousness and wrong, to put it in Thy hand,” i. e., Thou layest it up in Thy hand, to cast it back on the head of the evildoer. Now He seemed to behold it and leave it unpunished, which yet Habakkuk says to God below, He could not do Habakkuk 1:13; “Thou canst not look upon iniquity.” What then did this mean? What was the solution?

All forms and shapes of sin are multiplied; oppressive “violence” , such as “covered the earth” before the flood, and brought it down; which Nineveh had to put away Jonah 3:8, and it was spared; “iniquity,” i. e., what is unequal and contrary to truth, falsehood.

Grievance - literally, burdensome wearisome “toil”; “spoiling,” or open robbery; “strife and contention,” both through perversion of the law and, without it, through endless jarrings of man with man. Sin recoils on the sinner. So what he beholds is not “iniquity” only, but (in the same word) “vanity”; “grievance”; which is a burden both to him who suffers, and yet more to him who inflicts it. For nothing is so burdensome as sin, nothing so empty as wickedness. And while to him who suffers, the suffering is temporal, to him who inflicts it, it is eternal. And yet the prophet and whose prays against ungodliness, “must commiserate him who doth wrong yet more, since they hurt what is most precious, their own soul, and that eternally” . All then is full of evil. Wherever the prophet looks, some fresh violence is before him; it confronts him on every side; “strife hath arisen” , come up, exists where it was not before; “contention lifteth itself” on high, bowing down all beside.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Habakkuk 1:3. And cause me to behold grievance — עמל amal, labour, toil, distress, misery, &c., the common fruits of sin.


 
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