Habakkuk 1

1 The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

This is the burden that Habakkuk the prophet received in a vision:

2 Jehovah, 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, must I call for help but You do not hear, or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do 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 do You make me see iniquity? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds.

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 paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

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.

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

They are dreaded and feared; from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty.

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

All of them come bent on violence; their hordes advance like the east wind; they gather prisoners like 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.

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

Then they sweep by like the wind and pass on through. They are guilty; their own strength is their god.”

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

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 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,

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

You have made men like the fish of the sea, like 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.

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

Will he, therefore, empty his net and continue to slay nations without mercy?