Parallel Verses

New American Standard Bible

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?

King James Version

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?

Holman 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?

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?

A Conservative Version

Thou who are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and who cannot look on perverseness, why do thou look upon those who deal treacherously, and hold thy peace when the wicked man swallows up the man who is more righteous than he,

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;

Amplified


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?

Bible in Basic English

Before your holy eyes sin may not be seen, and you are unable to put up with wrong; why, then, are your eyes on the false? why do you say nothing when the evil-doer puts an end to one who is more upright than himself?

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?

Julia Smith Translation

Being pure of eyes from beholding evil, and wilt not be able to look upon labor: wherefore wilt thou look upon the transgressors? wilt thou be silent in the unjust swallowing the just above him?

King James 2000

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

Lexham Expanded Bible

Your eyes [are] too pure to see evil, and you are not able to look at wrongdoing. Why do you look at the treacherous? [Why] are you silent when the wicked swallows up [someone] more righteous than him?

Modern King James verseion

You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and can not look upon vexation. Why do You look upon those who deal deceitfully? Will you be silent when the wicked swallows one more righteous than he?

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

Thine eyes are clean, thou mayest not see evil, thou cannot behold the thing that is wicked. Wherefore then doest thou look upon the ungodly, and holdest thy tongue, when the wicked devoureth the man that is better than himself?

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 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,

The Emphasized Bible

Thou whose eyes are too pure to look with approval on wrong, to respect oppression, canst not endure, - Wherefore, shouldst thou respect the treacherous? Be silent, when the lawless, swalloweth up, one more righteous than he?

Webster

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,

Youngs 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,

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
טהר טהור 
Tahowr 
Usage: 95

ראה 
Ra'ah 
Usage: 1308

and canst
יכול יכל 
Yakol 
Usage: 194

not look
נבט 
Nabat 
Usage: 69

חרשׁ 
Charash 
Usage: 74

when the wicked
רשׁע 
Rasha` 
Usage: 263

בּלע 
Bala` 
Usage: 49

צדּיק 
Tsaddiyq 
Usage: 206

Context Readings

Habakkuk's Second Complaint

12 Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. 13 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?
14 You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler.

Cross References

Psalm 34:15-16

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

Psalm 35:22

You have seen, O LORD; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me!

Psalm 50:21

These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.

Jeremiah 12:1-2

Righteous are you, O LORD, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?

Acts 3:13-15

The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him.

2 Samuel 4:11

How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?"

1 Kings 2:32

The LORD will bring back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.

Esther 4:14

For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

Job 15:15

Behold, Godputs no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight;

Psalm 5:4-5

For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.

Psalm 10:1-2

Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Psalm 10:15

Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none.

Psalm 11:4-7

The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.

Psalm 37:12-15

The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,

Psalm 37:32-33

The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.

Psalm 50:3

Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest.

Psalm 56:1-2

Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me;

Psalm 73:3

For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Psalm 83:1

O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!

Proverbs 31:8-9

Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.

Isaiah 21:2

A stern vision is told to me; the traitor betrays, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, O Elam; lay siege, O Media; all the sighing she has caused I bring to an end.

Isaiah 33:1

Ah, you destroyer, who yourself have not been destroyed, you traitor, whom none has betrayed! When you have ceased to destroy, you will be destroyed; and when you have finished betraying, they will betray you.

Isaiah 64:12

Will you restrain yourself at these things, O LORD? Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?

Habakkuk 1:3-4

Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.

Acts 2:23

this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

1 Peter 1:15-16

but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain