Parallel Verses

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?

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?

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 for judgment; and, O mighty God, you have established them for correction. 13 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? 14 And make men like the fish of the sea, like the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?

Cross References

Psalm 34:15-16

The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

Psalm 35:22

This you have seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O LORD, be not far from me.

Psalm 50:21

These things have you done, and I kept silence; you thought that I was altogether such a one as yourself: but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes.

Jeremiah 12:1-2

Righteous are you, O LORD, when I plead with you: yet let me talk with you of your judgments: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? why are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

Acts 3:13-15

The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son Jesus; whom you delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

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 struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing of it, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the army of Judah.

Esther 4:14

For if you altogether hold your peace at this time, then shall relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but you and your father's house shall be destroyed: and who knows whether you are come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Job 15:15

Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

Psalm 5:4-5

For you are not a God that has pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with you.

Psalm 10:1-2

Why stand you afar off, O LORD? why hide you yourself in times of trouble?

Psalm 10:15

Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till you find none.

Psalm 11:4-7

The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids test, the children of men.

Psalm 37:12-15

The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes upon him with his teeth.

Psalm 37:32-33

The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him.

Psalm 50:3

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

Psalm 56:1-2

[To the Chief Musician upon jonathelemrechokim. A michtam of David, when the Philistines took him to Gath.] Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresses me.

Psalm 73:3

For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Psalm 83:1

[A Psalm or Song of Asaph.] Keep not silence, O God: hold not your peace, and be not still, O God.

Proverbs 31:8-9

Open your mouth for the dumb, for the cause of all who are left desolate.

Isaiah 21:2

A distressing vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer deals treacherously, and the plunderer plunders. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all its sighing have I made to cease.

Isaiah 33:1

Woe to you that plunder, and you were not plundered; and deal treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with you! when you shall cease to plunder, you shall be plundered; and when you shall make an end of dealing treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with you.

Isaiah 64:12

Will you restrain yourself for these things, O LORD? will you hold your peace, and afflict us very severely?

Habakkuk 1:3-4

Why do you show me iniquity, and cause me to behold trouble? for plundering and violence are before me: and there are those that raise up strife and contention.

Acts 2:23

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

1 Peter 1:15-16

But as he who has called you is holy, so be holy in all manner of 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

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