Habakkuk 1
1 The burden that Habakkuk the prophet saw.
This is the burden that Habakkuk the prophet received in a vision:
2 How long, O Lord, shall I cry out, and you will not heed? Shall I shout to you while suffering violence, and you will not save?
How long, O LORD, must I call for help but You do not hear, or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save?
3 Why have you revealed to me iniquity and hardship, to see plunder and injustice opposite me? And there has been judgment, but the opposition is more powerful.
Why do You make me see iniquity? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds.
4 Because of this, the law has been torn apart, and judgment does not persevere to its conclusion. For the impious prevail against the just. Because of this, a perverse judgment is issued.
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
5 Gaze among the nations, and see. Admire, and be astounded. For a work has been done in your days, which no one will believe when it is told.
“Look at the nations and observe— be utterly astounded! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you.
6 For behold, I will raise up the Chaldeans, a bitter and swift people, marching across the width of the earth, to possess tabernacles not their own.
For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans — that ruthless and impetuous nation which marches through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own.
7 It is dreadful and terrible. From themselves, judgment and their burden will issue.
They are dreaded and feared; from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty.
8 Their horses are more nimble than leopards and swifter than wolves in the evening; their horsemen will spread out. And then their horsemen will approach from far away; they will fly like the eagle, hurrying to devour.
Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead, and their cavalry comes from afar. They fly like a vulture, swooping down to devour.
9 They will all approach towards the prey; their face is like a burning wind. And they will gather captives together like sand.
All of them come bent on violence; their hordes advance like the east wind; they gather prisoners like sand.
10 And concerning kings, he will triumph, and sovereign rulers will be his laughingstock, and he will laugh over every fortress, and he will transport a rampart and seize it.
They scoff at kings and make rulers an object of scorn. They laugh at every fortress and build up siege ramps to seize it.
11 Then his spirit will be altered, and he will cross over and fall. Such is his strength from his god.
Then they sweep by like the wind and pass on through. They are guilty; their own strength is their god.”
12 Have you not existed from the beginning, Lord my God, my holy one, and so we shall not die? Lord, you have stationed him for judgment, and you have established that his strength will be swept away.
Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. O LORD, You have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, You have established them for correction.
13 Your eyes are pure, you do not behold evil, and you cannot look towards iniquity. Why do you look upon the agents of iniquity, and remain silent, while the impious is devouring one who is more just than himself?
Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
14 And you will make men like the fish of the sea and like the creeping things that have no ruler.
You have made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler.
15 He lifted up everything with his hook. He drew them in with his dragnet, and gathered them into his netting. Over this, he will rejoice and exult.
The foe pulls all of them up with a hook; he catches them in his dragnet, and gathers them in his fishing net; so he rejoices gladly.
16 For this reason, he will offer victims to his dragnet, and he will sacrifice to his netting. For through them, his portion has been made fat, and his meals elite.
Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnet and burns incense to his fishing net, for by these things his portion is sumptuous and his food is rich.
17 Because of this, therefore, he expands his dragnet and will not be lenient in continually putting to death the peoples.
Will he, therefore, empty his net and continue to slay nations without mercy?
