King James Version

Habakkuk 1:13

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?

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Hebrew

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טְה֤וֹרtehorpurenessטְהוֹרadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, construct — “pureness”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2890puritypureness.עֵינַ֨יִם֙eynayimeye , , -sightעַיִןnoun, common, both genders, dual, absolute — “eye , , -sight”, the ordinary formH5869an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)affliction, outward appearance, [phrase] before, [phrase] think best, colour, conceit, [phrase] be content, countenance, [phrase] displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, [phrase] favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), [idiom] him…מֵרְא֣וֹתmereotfrom seeרָאָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “from see”, the to-form of the verbH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…רָ֔עrabadרַעadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…וְהַבִּ֥יטvehabitand lookנָבַטconjunction, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct — “and look”, the to-form of the verbH5027to scan, i.e. look intently at; by implication, to regard with pleasure, favor or care(cause to) behold, consider, look (down), regard, have respect, see.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).עָמָ֖לamaltoilעָמָלnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “toil”, the ordinary formH5999toil, i.e. wearing effort; hence, worry, wheth. of body or mindgrievance(-vousness), iniquity, labour, mischief, miserable(-sery), pain(-ful), perverseness, sorrow, toil, travail, trouble, wearisome, wickedness.לֹ֣אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…תוּכָ֑לtukhalbe ableיָכֹלverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “be able”, an unfinished actionH3201to be able, literally (can, could) or morally (may, might)be able, any at all (ways), attain, can (away with, (-not)), could, endure, might, overcome, have power, prevail, still, suffer.לָ֤מָּהlamahto howמָהpreposition, particle, interrogative — “to how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.תַבִּיט֙tabitlookנָבַטverb, hiphil, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “look”, an unfinished actionH5027to scan, i.e. look intently at; by implication, to regard with pleasure, favor or care(cause to) behold, consider, look (down), regard, have respect, see.בּֽוֹגְדִ֔יםbogedimdeal deceitfullyבָּגַדverb, qal, participle, absolute — “deal deceitfully”, a verb used as a describing wordH898to cover (with a garment); figuratively, to act covertly; by implication, to pillagedeal deceitfully (treacherously, unfaithfully), offend, transgress(-or), (depart), treacherous (dealer, -ly, man), unfaithful(-ly, man), [idiom] very.תַּחֲרִ֕ישׁtacharishbe deafחָרַשׁverb, hiphil, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “be deaf”, an unfinished actionH2790to scratch, i.e. (by implication) to engrave, plough; hence (from the use of tools) to fabricate (of any material); figuratively, to devise (in a bad sense); hence (from the idea of secrecy) to be silent, to let alone; hence (by implication) to be deaf (as an accompaniment of dumbness)[idiom] altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise, ear, graven, imagine, leave off speaking, hold peace, plow(-er, man), be quiet, rest, practise secretly, keep silence, be silent, speak not a word, be still, hold tongue, worker.בְּבַלַּ֥עbevalain destroyבָּלַעpreposition, verb, piel, infinitive construct — “in destroy”, the to-form of the verbH1104to make away with (specifically by swallowing); generally, to destroycover, destroy, devour, eat up, be at end, spend up, swallow down (up).רָשָׁ֖עrashaguiltyרָשָׁעadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “guilty”, the ordinary formH7563morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person[phrase] condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.צַדִּ֥יקtsadiqjustצַדִּיקadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “just”, the ordinary formH6662justjust, lawful, righteous (man).מִמֶּֽנּוּmimenvfromמִןpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “from”H4480properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many sensesabove, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, [idiom] neither, [idiom] nor, (out) of, over, since, [idiom] then, through, [idiom] whether, with.

Jewish translation (JPS 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;

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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;

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,

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,

Darby Translation

[Thou art] of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on mischief: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, [and] keepest silence when the wicked swalloweth up a [man] more righteous than he?

Douay-Rheims

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?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

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?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καθαρὸς ὀφθαλμὸς τοῦ μὴ ὁρᾷν πονηρὰ, καὶ ἐπιβλέπειν ἐπὶ πόνους ὀδύνης· ἱνατί ἐπιβλέπεις ἐπὶ καταφρονοῦντας; παρασιωπήσῃ ἐν τῷ καταπίνειν ἀσεβῆ τὸν δίκαιον;