13 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?
14 Why do You make men like fish of the sea,
Like creeping things that have no ruler over them?

15 They take up all of them with a hook,
They catch them in their net,
And gather them in their dragnet.
Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
16 Therefore (A)they sacrifice to their net,
And burn incense to their dragnet;
Because by them their share is [a]sumptuous
And their food plentiful.
17 Shall they therefore empty their net,
And continue to slay nations without pity?

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Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 1:16 Lit. fat

13 Your eyes are too pure(A) to look on evil;
    you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.(B)
Why then do you tolerate(C) the treacherous?(D)
    Why are you silent while the wicked
    swallow up those more righteous than themselves?(E)
14 You have made people like the fish in the sea,
    like the sea creatures that have no ruler.
15 The wicked(F) foe pulls all of them up with hooks,(G)
    he catches them in his net,(H)
he gathers them up in his dragnet;
    and so he rejoices and is glad.
16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net
    and burns incense(I) to his dragnet,
for by his net he lives in luxury
    and enjoys the choicest food.
17 Is he to keep on emptying his net,
    destroying nations without mercy?(J)

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