Habakkuk 1

1 The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

The burden that Habacuc the prophet saw.

2 LORD, how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I cry out to you "Violence." and will you not save?

How long, O Lord, shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? shall I cry out to thee suffering violence, and thou wilt not save?

3 Why do you show me iniquity, and look at perversity? For destruction and violence are before me. There is strife, and contention rises up.

Why hast thou shewn me iniquity and grievance, to see rapine and injustice before me? and there is a judgment, but opposition is more powerful.

4 Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice goes forth perverted.

Therefore the law is torn in pieces, and judgment cometh not to the end: because the wicked prevaileth against the just, therefore wrong judgment goeth forth.

5 "Look, you scoffers, and watch, and be utterly amazed, and perish; for I am working a work in your days which you will not believe, though it is told you.

Behold ye among the nations, and see: wonder, and be astonished: for a work is done in your days, which no man will believe when it shall be told.

6 For, look, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, that march through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling places not his own.

For behold, I will raise up the Chaldeans, a bitter and swift nation, marching upon the breadth of the earth, to possess the dwelling places that are not their own.

7 He is feared and dreaded. His judgment will be from himself, and his authority will come from himself.

They are dreadful, and terrible: from themselves shall their judgment, and their burden proceed.

8 His horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. And their horsemen press proudly on, and, their horsemen come from afar. They fly as an eagle that hurries to devour.

Their horses are lighter than leopards, and swifter than evening wolves; and their horsemen shall be spread abroad: for their horsemen shall come from afar, they shall fly as an eagle that maketh haste to eat.

9 All of them come for violence. Their hordes face the desert. He gathers prisoners like sand.

They shall all come to the prey, their face is like a burning wind: and they shall gather together captives as the sand.

10 And he will scoff at kings and deride rulers. He laughs at every stronghold, for he builds up an earthen ramp, and takes it.

And their prince shall triumph over kings, and princes shall be his laughingstock: and he shall laugh at every strong hold, and shall cast up a mount, and shall take it.

11 Then he sweeps by like the wind, and goes on. He is indeed guilty, whose strength is his god."

Then shall his spirit be changed, and he shall pass, and fall: this is his strength of his god.

12 Aren't you from everlasting, LORD my God, my Holy One? We will not die. LORD, you have appointed him for judgment. You, Rock, have established him to punish.

Wast thou not from the beginning, O Lord my God, my holy one, and we shall not die? Lord, thou hast appointed him for judgment: and made him strong for correction.

13 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,

Thy eyes are too pure to behold evil, and thou canst not look on iniquity. Why lookest thou upon them that do unjust things, and holdest thy peace when the wicked devoureth the man that is more just than himself?

14 and make men like the fish of the sea, like the crawling creatures, that have no ruler over them?

And thou wilt make men as the fishes of the sea, and as the creeping things that have no ruler.

15 He takes up all of them with the hook, and he catches them in his net and gathers them in his dragnet. Therefore he rejoices and is glad.

He lifted up all them with his hook, he drew them in his drag, and gathered them into his net: for this he will be glad and rejoice.

16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net, and burns incense to his dragnet, because by them his life is luxurious, and his food is good.

Therefore will he offer victims to his drag, and he will sacrifice to his net: because through them his portion is made fat, and his meat dainty.

17 Will he therefore continually empty his net, killing the nations without mercy?

For this cause therefore he spreadeth his net, and will not spare continually to slay the nations.