Parallel Verses
Amplified
Therefore, the law is ineffective and ignored
And justice is never upheld,
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore, justice becomes perverted.
New American Standard Bible
And justice
For the wicked
Therefore justice comes out
King James Version
Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.
Holman Bible
and justice never emerges.
For the wicked restrict
therefore, justice
International Standard Version
Therefore, the Law has become paralyzed, and justice never comes about. Because criminals outnumber the righteous, whenever judgments are issued, they come out crooked."
A Conservative Version
Therefore the law is slacked, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked man surrounds the righteous man, therefore justice goes forth perverted.
American Standard Version
Therefore the law is slacked, and justice doth never go forth; for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore justice goeth forth perverted.
Bible in Basic English
For this reason the law is feeble and decisions are not effected: for the upright man is circled round by evil-doers; because of which right is twisted.
Darby Translation
Therefore the law is powerless, and justice doth never go forth; for the wicked encompasseth the righteous; therefore judgment goeth forth perverted.
Julia Smith Translation
For this, the law will be slack, and judgment will not go forth forever: for the unjust surrounds the just; for this perverted judgment will go forth.
King James 2000
Therefore the law is slacked, and justice does never go forth: for the wicked does surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds.
Lexham Expanded Bible
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice does not go forth perpetually. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice goes forth perverted.
Modern King James verseion
Therefore the law has become helpless, and justice does not always go forth. For the wicked entraps the righteous; therefore justice goes forth, being perverted.
Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
for the law is torn in pieces, and there can no right judgment go forth. And why? The ungodly is more set by than the righteous: this is the cause that wrong judgment proceedeth.
NET Bible
For this reason the law lacks power, and justice is never carried out. Indeed, the wicked intimidate the innocent. For this reason justice is perverted.
New Heart English Bible
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice goes forth perverted.
The Emphasized Bible
For which cause, benumbed is the law, and there is never any going forth of justice, - for, the lawless, doth circumvent the righteous, for which cause, justice doth go forth perverted?
Webster
Therefore the law is slackened, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth encompass the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.
World English Bible
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice goes forth perverted.
Youngs Literal Translation
Therefore doth law cease, And judgment doth not go forth for ever, For the wicked is compassing the righteous, Therefore wrong judgment goeth forth.
Topics
Interlinear
Mishpat
Netsach
Word Count of 20 Translations in Habakkuk 1:4
Verse Info
Context Readings
Habakkuk's Complaint
3
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.
Therefore, the law is ineffective and ignored
And justice is never upheld,
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore, justice becomes perverted.
[The Lord replied,] “Look among the nations! See!
Be astonished! Wonder!
For I am doing something in your days—
You would not believe it if you were told.
Phrases
Names
Cross References
Psalm 119:126
It is time for the Lord to act;
They have broken Your law.
Ezekiel 9:9
Then He said to me, “The wickedness (guilt) of the house of Israel and Judah is extremely great; the land is full of blood and the city is full of perversion and injustice; for they say, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land; the Lord does not see [what we are doing].’
Job 21:7
“Why do the wicked still live,
Become old, and become mighty in power?
Psalm 58:1-2
Do you judge fairly, O sons of men?
Isaiah 1:21-23
How the faithful city has become a prostitute [idolatrous, despicable],
She who was full of justice!
Right standing with God once lodged in her,
But now murderers.
Isaiah 5:20
Woe (judgment is coming) to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Jeremiah 12:1
Yet let me discuss issues of justice with You:
Why has the way of the wicked prospered?
Why are those who deal in treachery (deceit) at ease and thriving?
Exodus 23:2
You shall not follow a crowd to do [something] evil, nor shall you testify at a trial or in a dispute so as to side with a crowd in order to pervert justice;
Exodus 23:6
“You shall not pervert (bend) the justice due to your poor in his dispute.
Deuteronomy 16:19
You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.
1 Kings 21:13
Two worthless and unprincipled men came in and sat down opposite him; and they testified against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed and renounced God and the king.” Then they brought him outside the city and stoned him to death.
Psalm 11:3
“If the foundations [of a godly society] are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?”
Psalm 22:16
For [a pack of] dogs have surrounded me;
A gang of evildoers has encircled me,
They pierced my hands and my feet.
Psalm 59:2
Deliver me from those who practice wrongdoing,
And save me from bloodthirsty men.
Psalm 59:4
They run and set themselves against me though there is no guilt in me;
Stir Yourself to meet and help me, and see [what they are doing]!
Psalm 82:1-5
He judges among the gods (divine beings).
Psalm 94:3
O Lord, how long will the wicked,
How long will the wicked rejoice in triumph?
Psalm 94:20-21
Can a throne of destruction be allied with You,
One which frames and devises mischief by decree [under the sacred name of law]?
Isaiah 59:2-8
But your wickedness has separated you from your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
Isaiah 59:13-15
Rebelling against and denying the Lord,
Turning away from [following] our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and muttering from the heart lying words.
Jeremiah 5:27-29
‘As a cage is full of birds,
So are their houses full of deceit and treachery;
Therefore they have become influential and rich.
Jeremiah 12:6
“For even your [tribal] brothers and the household of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously (unfaithfully) with you;
Indeed they are [like a pack of hounds] howling after you.
Do not believe them, although they may say kind words and promise you good things.”
Jeremiah 26:8
Now when Jeremiah finished proclaiming everything that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the [false] prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You must die!
Jeremiah 26:21-23
And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put Uriah to death; but when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt.
Jeremiah 37:14-16
But Jeremiah said, “That is a lie! I am not deserting to join the Chaldeans.” But the guard would not listen to him. So Irijah took Jeremiah and brought him to the princes (court officials).
Jeremiah 38:4-6
Therefore the princes (court officials) said to the king, “Please [we implore you] let this man [Jeremiah] be put to death; for [speaking] in this way he discourages and weakens [the will of] the soldiers who remain in this city and he discourages and weakens [the will of] all the people by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but rather their harm.”
Ezekiel 22:25-30
There is a conspiracy of her [false] prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured [human] life; they have taken [in their greed] treasure and precious things; they have made many widows among her.
Hosea 10:4
They have spoken empty (disingenuous) words,
Swearing falsely to make covenants [they intend to break];
Therefore, judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
Amos 5:7
“For those [shall be consumed] who turn justice into wormwood (bitterness)
And cast righteousness down to the earth.”
Amos 5:12
For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great (shocking, innumerable),
You who distress the righteous and take bribes,
And turn away from the poor in the [court of the city] gate [depriving them of justice].
Micah 2:1-2
And plot evil on their beds!
When morning comes, they practice evil
Because it is in the power of their hands.
Micah 3:1-3
And I said,
And rulers of the house of Israel.
Is it not for you to know and administer justice?
Micah 7:2-4
The godly person [who is faithful and loyal to God] has perished from the earth,
And there is no upright person [one with good character and moral integrity] among men.
They all lie in wait to shed blood;
Each hunts the other with a net.
Matthew 23:34-36
Matthew 26:59-66
Now the chief priests and the whole Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) tried to get false witnesses to testify against Jesus, so that they might [have a reason to] put Him to death.
Matthew 27:1-2
When it was morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) conferred together against Jesus, [plotting how] to put Him to death [since under Roman rule they had no power to execute anyone];
Matthew 27:25-26
And all the people answered, “Let [the responsibility for] His blood be on us and on our children!”
Mark 7:9
He was also saying to them,
Acts 7:52
Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who proclaimed beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;
Acts 7:59
They continued stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit!”
Acts 23:12-14
Now when day came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath (curse), saying that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
Romans 3:31
Do we then nullify the Law by this faith [making the Law of no effect, overthrowing it]? Certainly not! On the contrary, we confirm and establish and uphold the Law [since it convicts us all of sin, pointing to the need for salvation].
James 2:6-7
But you [in contrast] have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress and exploit you, and personally drag you into the courts of law?