Habakkuk 1

1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

The message seen by the prophet Habakkuk.

2 O LORD, how long shall I cry, and you will not hear! even cry out unto you of violence, and you will 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 do you show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

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 judgment does never go forth: for the wicked does compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceeds.

Therefore the law is weak, and justice is never rendered; for the wicked surround the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

5 Behold all of you among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days which all of you 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, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not their's.

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 shall proceed of themselves.

They bring fear and terror. They write their own rules.

8 Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hastes to eat.

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 shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.

They all come to do violence, a horde like a desert wind, they gather up captives like sand.

10 And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take 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 his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.

Then they sweep on like the wind, Their strength is their god.

12 Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, you have established them 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 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and can not look on iniquity: wherefore look you upon them that deal treacherously, and hold your tongue when the wicked devours 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 make 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 They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad.

The wicked sweep them all into their nets, and gather them into their drag-nets, and rejoice and celebrate.

16 Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their food abundant.

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 they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?

Will they empty their nets continually, slaughter nations unpityingly?