Habakkuk 1:13
New International Version
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

New Living Translation
But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. Will you wink at their treachery? Should you be silent while the wicked swallow up people more righteous than they?

English Standard Version
You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

Berean Standard Bible
Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

King James Bible
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

New King James Version
You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?

New American Standard Bible
Your eyes are too pure to look at evil, And You cannot look at harm favorably. Why do You look favorably At those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?

NASB 1995
Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?

NASB 1977
Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, And Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor. Why dost Thou look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why art Thou silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?

Legacy Standard Bible
Your eyes are too pure to see evil, And You cannot look on trouble. Why do You look On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?

Amplified Bible
Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You cannot look favorably on wickedness. Why then do You look favorably On those who act treacherously? Why are you silent when the wicked (Chaldean oppressors) destroy Those more righteous than they?

Christian Standard Bible
Your 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?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Your 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?

American Standard Version
Thou that art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and that canst not look on perverseness, wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy peace when the wicked swalloweth up the man that is more righteous than he;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Pure are your eyes and they see no evil and you cannot look at evil. Why do you gaze at the insolent, and you are silent when the Evil One swallows the righteous?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
His eye is too pure to behold evil doings, and to look upon grievous afflictions: wherefore dost thou look upon despisers? wilt thou be silent when the ungodly swallows up the just?

Contemporary English Version
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.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thy eyes are too pure to behold evil, and thou canst not look on iniquity. Why lookest thou upon them that do unjust things, and holdest thy peace when the wicked devoureth the man that is more just than himself?

English Revised Version
Thou that art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and that canst not look on perverseness, wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy peace when the wicked swalloweth up the man that is more righteous than he;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Your eyes are too pure to look at evil. You can't watch wickedness. Why do you keep watching treacherous people? Why are you silent when wicked people swallow those who are more righteous than they are?

Good News Translation
But how can you stand these treacherous, evil men? Your eyes are too holy to look at evil, and you cannot stand the sight of people doing wrong. So why are you silent while they destroy people who are more righteous than they are?

International Standard Version
Your eyes are too pure to gaze upon evil; and you cannot tolerate wickedness. So why do you tolerate the treacherous? And why do you stay silent while the wicked devour those who are more righteous than they are?

JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou that art of eyes too pure to behold evil, And that canst not look on mischief, Wherefore lookest Thou, when they deal treacherously, And holdest Thy peace, when the wicked swalloweth up The man that is more righteous than he;

Literal Standard Version
Purer of eyes than to behold evil, | You are not able to look on perverseness, | Why do You behold the treacherous? You keep silent when the wicked | Swallow the more righteous than he,

Majority Standard Bible
Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

New American Bible
Your eyes are too pure to look upon wickedness, and the sight of evil you cannot endure. Why, then, do you gaze on the faithless in silence while the wicked devour those more just than themselves?

NET Bible
You 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?

New Revised Standard Version
Your eyes are too pure to behold evil, and you cannot look on wrongdoing; why do you look on the treacherous, and are silent when the wicked swallow those more righteous than they?

New Heart English Bible
You who have purer eyes than to see evil, and who cannot look on perversity, why do you tolerate those who deal treacherously, and keep silent when the wicked swallows up the man who is more righteous than he,

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: why lookest thou on them that deal treacherously, and keepest silence when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

World English Bible
You who have purer eyes than to see evil, and who cannot look on perversity, why do you tolerate those who deal treacherously and keep silent when the wicked swallows up the man who is more righteous than he,

Young's Literal Translation
Purer of eyes than to behold evil, To look on perverseness Thou art not able, Why dost Thou behold the treacherous? Thou keepest silent when the wicked Doth swallow the more righteous than he,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Habakkuk's Second Complaint
12Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. O LORD, You have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, You have established them for correction. 13Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? 14You have made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler.…

Cross References
Job 21:7
Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?

Psalm 11:4
The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.

Psalm 18:26
to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.

Psalm 25:3
Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who are faithless without cause will be disgraced.

Psalm 34:15
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.

Psalm 34:16
But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.

Psalm 35:17
How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.


Treasury of Scripture

You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and can not look on iniquity: why look you on them that deal treacherously, and hold your tongue when the wicked devours the man that is more righteous than he?

of.

Job 15:15
Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

Psalm 5:4,5
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee…

Psalm 11:4-7
The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men…

iniquity.

Psalm 10:1,2,15
Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? …

Psalm 73:3
For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Jeremiah 12:1,2
Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? …

deal.

Isaiah 21:2
A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

Isaiah 33:1
Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

holdest.

Esther 4:14
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Psalm 35:22
This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.

Psalm 50:3,21
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him…

the wicked.

Habakkuk 1:3,4
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…

2 Samuel 4:11
How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?

1 Kings 2:32
And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.

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Habakkuk 1
1. Unto Habakkuk, complaining of the iniquity of the land,
5. is shown the fearful vengeance by the Chaldeans.
12. He complains that vengeance should be executed by them who are far worse.














(13) The prophet's confidence is tempered, however, with anxious fear. Why does not God show plainly that He authorises this visitation? The triumph of this godless invader appears to impugn God's majesty.

Verse 13. - Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil (comp. Habakkuk 1:3). God cannot look with complacency on evil (Psalm 5:5, 6). Iniquity; Septuagint, πόνους ὀδύνης, "labours of pain." Injustice and the distress occasioned by it. God's holiness cannot endure the sight of wickedness, nor his mercy the sight of man's misery. And yet he permits these evil men to afflict the holy seed. This is the prophet's perplexity, which he lays before the Lord. Them that deal treacherously. The Chaldeans, so called from their faithless and rapacious conduct (Isaiah 21:2; Isaiah 24:16). More righteous. The Israelites, wicked as they were, were more righteous than the Chaldeans (comp. Ezekiel 16:51, etc.). Delitzsch and Keil think that the persons intended are the godly portion of Israel, who will suffer with the guilty.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Your eyes
עֵינַ֙יִם֙ (‘ê·na·yim)
Noun - cd
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

are too pure
טְה֤וֹר (ṭə·hō·wr)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2890: Pureness

to
מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (mim·men·nū)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

look on
מֵרְא֣וֹת (mê·rə·’ō·wṯ)
Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7200: To see

evil,
רָ֔ע (rā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

and You cannot
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

tolerate
וְהַבִּ֥יט (wə·hab·bîṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5027: To scan, look intently at, to regard

wrongdoing.
עָמָ֖ל (‘ā·māl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5999: Toil, wearing effort, worry, wheth, of body, mind

So why
לָ֤מָּה (lām·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

do You tolerate
תַבִּיט֙ (ṯab·bîṭ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5027: To scan, look intently at, to regard

the faithless?
בּֽוֹגְדִ֔ים (bō·wḡ·ḏîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 898: To cover, to act covertly, to pillage

Why are You silent
תַּחֲרִ֕ישׁ (ta·ḥă·rîš)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 2790: To cut in, engrave, plow, devise

while the wicked
רָשָׁ֖ע (rā·šā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7563: Wrong, an, bad person

swallow up
בְּבַלַּ֥ע (bə·ḇal·la‘)
Preposition-b | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1104: To swallow down, swallow up, engulf

those more righteous than themselves?
צַדִּ֥יק (ṣad·dîq)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6662: Just, righteous


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OT Prophets: Habakkuk 1:13 You who have purer eyes than (Hab Hb)
Habakkuk 1:12
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