Loading…

Habakkuk 1:2–3

Habakkuk’s Complaint

O Lord, bhow long shall I cry for help,

and you will not hear?

Or cry to you c“Violence!”

and you will not save?

dWhy do you make me see iniquity,

and why do you idly look at wrong?

Destruction cand violence are before me;

strife and contention arise.

Read more Explain verse



Habakkuk 1:2–3 — The New International Version (NIV)

How long, Lord, must I call for help,

but you do not listen?

Or cry out to you, “Violence!”

but you do not save?

Why do you make me look at injustice?

Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?

Destruction and violence are before me;

there is strife, and conflict abounds.

Habakkuk 1:2–3 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!

Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!

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.

Habakkuk 1:2–3 — New Living Translation (NLT)

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.

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.

Habakkuk 1:2–3 — The New King James Version (NKJV)

O Lord, how long shall I cry,

And You will not hear?

Even cry out to You, “Violence!”

And You will not save.

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.

Habakkuk 1:2–3 — New Century Version (NCV)

Lord, how long must I ask for help

and you ignore me?

I cry out to you about violence,

but you do not save us!

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.

Habakkuk 1:2–3 — American Standard Version (ASV)

O Jehovah, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? I cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save. 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.

Habakkuk 1:2–3 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)

Jehovah, how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear? I cry out unto thee, Violence! and thou dost not save. 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.

Habakkuk 1:2–3 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

How long, O Lord, am I to cry for help, 

but you will not listen? 

I cry out to you, “There’s violence!” 

yet you will not come to the rescue. 

Why do you make me see wrongdoing? 

And why do you watch wickedness? 

Destruction and violence are in front of me. 

Quarrels and disputes arise. 

Habakkuk 1:2–3 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

How long, Lord, must I call for help

and You do not listen

or cry out to You about violence

and You do not save?

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.

Habakkuk 1:2–3 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,

and you will not listen?

Or cry to you “Violence!”

and you will not save?

Why do you make me see wrongdoing

and look at trouble?

Destruction and violence are before me;

strife and contention arise.

Habakkuk 1:2–3 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)

O Yahweh, how long shall I cry for help

and you will not listen?

How long will I cry out to you, “Violence!”

and you will not save?

Why do you cause me to see evil

while you look at trouble?

Destruction and violence happen before me;

contention and strife arise.

Habakkuk 1:2–3 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

Lord, how long do I have to call out for help?

Why don’t you listen to me?

How long must I keep telling you

that things are terrible?

Why don’t you save us?

Why do you make me watch while

people treat others so unfairly?

Why do you put up with the wrong things

they are doing?

I have to look at death.

People are harming others.

They are arguing and fighting all the time.

Habakkuk 1:2–3 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)

How long, O Lord, will I call for help,

And You will not hear?

I cry out to You, “Violence!”

Yet You do not save.

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.


A service of Logos Bible Software

Habakkuk 2:2–4

The Righteous Shall Live by His Faith

And the Lord answered me:

k“Write the vision;

make it plain on tablets,

so he may run who reads it.

For still lthe vision awaits its appointed time;

it hastens to the end—it will not lie.

If it seems slow, mwait for it;

nit will surely come; it will not delay.

“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,

but othe righteous shall live by his faith.1

Read more Explain verse



Habakkuk 2:2–4 — The New International Version (NIV)

Then the Lord replied:

“Write down the revelation

and make it plain on tablets

so that a herald may run with it.

For the revelation awaits an appointed time;

it speaks of the end

and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it;

it will certainly come

and will not delay.

“See, the enemy is puffed up;

his desires are not upright—

but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness—

Habakkuk 2:2–4 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

And the Lord answered me, and said,

Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables,

That he may run that readeth it.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time,

But at the end it shall speak, and not lie:

Though it tarry, wait for it;

Because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him:

But the just shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:2–4 — New Living Translation (NLT)

Then the Lord said to me,

“Write my answer plainly on tablets,

so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.

This vision is for a future time.

It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.

If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently,

for it will surely take place.

It will not be delayed.

“Look at the proud!

They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.

But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.

Habakkuk 2:2–4 — The New King James Version (NKJV)

Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision

And make it plain on tablets,

That he may run who reads it.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time;

But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.

Though it tarries, wait for it;

Because it will surely come,

It will not tarry.

“Behold the proud,

His soul is not upright in him;

But the just shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:2–4 — New Century Version (NCV)

The Lord answered me:

“Write down the vision;

write it clearly on clay tablets

so whoever reads it can run to tell others.

It is not yet time for the message to come true,

but that time is coming soon;

the message will come true.

It may seem like a long time,

but be patient and wait for it,

because it will surely come;

it will not be delayed.

The evil nation is very proud of itself;

it is not living as it should.

But those who are right with God will live by faith.

Habakkuk 2:2–4 — American Standard Version (ASV)

And Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay.

Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:2–4 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)

And Jehovah answered me and said, Write the vision, and engrave it upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but it hasteth to the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; for it will surely come, it will not delay. Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright within him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:2–4 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Then the Lord answered me, 

“Write the vision. 

Make it clear on tablets 

so that anyone can read it quickly. 

The vision will still happen at the appointed time. 

It hurries toward its goal. 

It won’t be a lie. 

If it’s delayed, wait for it. 

It will certainly happen. 

It won’t be late. 

“Look at the proud person. He is not right in himself. 

But the righteous person will live because of his faithfulness.

Habakkuk 2:2–4 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

The Lord answered me:

Write down this vision;

clearly inscribe it on tablets

so one may easily read it.

For the vision is yet for the appointed time;

it testifies about the end and will not lie.

Though it delays, wait for it,

since it will certainly come and not be late.

Look, his ego is inflated;

he is without integrity.

But the righteous one will live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:2–4 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Then the Lord answered me and said:

Write the vision;

make it plain on tablets,

so that a runner may read it.

For there is still a vision for the appointed time;

it speaks of the end, and does not lie.

If it seems to tarry, wait for it;

it will surely come, it will not delay.

Look at the proud!

Their spirit is not right in them,

but the righteous live by their faith.

Habakkuk 2:2–4 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)

Then Yahweh answered me and said,

“Write the vision and make it plain on the tablet

so that it might be read quickly.

For there is yet a vision for the appointed time;

it will give witness to the end, and it will not lie.

If it tarries, wait for it,

for it will surely come and not delay.

Look! His spirit within him is puffed up;

it is not upright.

But the righteous shall live by his faithfulness.

Habakkuk 2:2–4 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

The Lord replies,

“Write down the message I am showing you in a vision.

Write it clearly on the tablets you use.

Then a messenger can read it

and run to announce it.

The message I give you

waits for the time I have appointed.

It speaks about what is going to happen.

And all of it will come true.

It might take a while.

But wait for it.

You can be sure it will come.

It will happen when I want it to.

“The Babylonians are very proud.

What they want is not good.

“But the one who is right with God

will live by faith.

Habakkuk 2:2–4 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)

Then the Lord answered me and said,

Record the vision

And inscribe it on tablets,

That the one who reads it may run.

“For the vision is yet for the appointed time;

It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail.

Though it tarries, wait for it;

For it will certainly come, it will not delay.

Behold, as for the proud one,

His soul is not right within him;

But the righteous will live by his faith.


A service of Logos Bible Software