“Look at the nations and pay attention! ¹  You will be shocked and amazed! ²  For I will do something in your lifetime ³  that you will not believe even though you are forewarned. ⁴ 

biblegateway Hab 1:5

"Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days— You would not believe if you were told.

Look at the nations and observe--be utterly astounded! For something is taking place in your days that you will not believe when you hear about it.

Look among the nations and watch. Be amazed and astonished. I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if it were reported to you.

biblegateway Hab 1:5

"Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

"Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.

bibleoremus Hab 1:5

Look at the nations, and see! Be astonished! Be astounded! For a work is being done in your days that you would not believe if you were told.

Look around among the nations; see there a sight which will utterly astound you; you will not believe it when you are told what is being done in your days:

biblegateway Hab 1:5

"Look among the nations and watch––Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you .

Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for [I] will work a work in your days, [which] ye will not believe, though it be told [you].

biblegateway Hab 1:5

“Look at the nations and pay attention! ¹  You will be shocked and amazed! ²  For I will do something in your lifetime ³  that you will not believe even though you are forewarned. ⁴ 

¹ tn Or “look among the nations and observe.” The imperatival forms in v. 5 are plural, indicating that the Lord’s message is for the whole nation, not just the prophet.

² tn The Hebrew text combines the Hitpael and Qal imperatival forms of the verb תָּמַה (tamah, “be amazed”). A literal translation might read, “Shock yourselves and be shocked!” The repetition of sounds draws attention to the statement. The imperatives here have the force of an emphatic assertion. On this use of the imperative in Hebrew, see GKC 324 §110.c and IBHS 572-73 §34.4c.

³ tc Heb “for a work working in your days.” Following the LXX reading, some supply a first person singular pronoun with the participle פֹּעֵל (po’el). Ellipsis of a first singular pronoun before participles is relatively rare (see GKC 360 §116.s); perhaps an original אֲנֹכִי (’anoki; or אֲנִי, ’aniy) followed the initial כִּי (ki) and was omitted by homoioteleuton.

⁴ tn Heb “you will not believe when it is told.” In this context the force of כִּי (ki) may be “when,” “if,” or “even though.”