Habakkuk 1
1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.
The message seen by the prophet Habakkuk.
2 O Jehovah, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? I cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save.
How long, Lord, have I cried out and without you hearing me! I cry to you, “Violence!” but you do not help.
3 Why dost thou show me iniquity, and look upon perverseness? for destruction and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up.
Why do you make me look upon wickedness and behold trouble? Destruction and violence are before my eyes, and fighting and quarrelling.
4 Therefore the law is slacked, and justice doth never go forth; for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore justice goeth forth perverted.
Therefore the law is weak, and justice is never rendered; for the wicked surround the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
5 Behold ye among the nations, and look, and wonder marvellously; for I am working a work in your days, which ye will not believe though it be told you.
Look at the nations, look well, be shocked and amazed. For I am about to do a work in your days; you will not believe it when it is told.
6 For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, that march through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling-places that are not theirs.
For I am about to raise up the Chaldeans, a nation grim and quick of action who sweep over the whole breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own.
7 They are terrible and dreadful; their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.
They bring fear and terror. They write their own rules.
8 Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves; and their horsemen press proudly on: yea, their horsemen come from far; they fly as an eagle that hasteth to devour.
Their horses are swifter than leopards, quicker than wolves hunting at dusk. From afar they come swooping down, like an eagle attacking its prey.
9 They come all of them for violence; the set of their faces is forwards; and they gather captives as the sand.
They all come to do violence, a horde like a desert wind, they gather up captives like sand.
10 Yea, he scoffeth at kings, and princes are a derision unto him; he derideth every stronghold; for he heapeth up dust, and taketh it.
At kings they scoff, and princes are sport to them. They laugh at every fortress, and heap up earth to take it.
11 Then shall he sweep by [as] a wind, and shall pass over, and be guilty, [even] he whose might is his god.
Then they sweep on like the wind, Their strength is their god.
12 Art not thou from everlasting, O Jehovah my God, my Holy One? we shall not die. O Jehovah, thou hast ordained him for judgment; and thou, O Rock, hast established him for correction.
Are you not eternal, Lord, my holy one, who does not die? Lord you have appointed them to execute judgment, my rock, you have established them to punish.
13 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;
Your eyes are too pure to look at evil, you cannot condone iniquity. So why do you regard the treacherous in silence, while the wicked swallows the upright?
14 and makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
You have made people like the fish of the sea, like reptiles that have no ruler.
15 He taketh up all of them with the angle, he catcheth them in his net, and gathereth them in his drag: therefore he rejoiceth and is glad.
The wicked sweep them all into their nets, and gather them into their drag-nets, and rejoice and celebrate.
16 Therefore he sacrificeth unto his net, and burneth incense unto his drag; because by them his portion is fat, and his food plenteous.
Therefore they sacrifice to their net, and burn offerings to their drag-net; for by their nets are their portions generous, and their food is rich.
17 Shall he therefore empty his net, and spare not to slay the nations continually?
Will they empty their nets continually, slaughter nations unpityingly?
