Habakkuk 1

1 The message seen by the prophet Habakkuk.

The revelation which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

2 How long, Lord, have I cried out and without you hearing me! I cry to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not help.

LORD, how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I cry out to you “Violence!” and will you not save?

3 Why do you make me look upon wickedness and behold trouble? Destruction and violence are before my eyes, and fighting and quarrelling.

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

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

Therefore the law is paralysed, and justice never prevails; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice comes out perverted.

5 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.

“Look amongst the nations, watch, and wonder marvellously; for I am working a work in your days which you will not believe though it is told you.

6 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.

For, behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation who march through the width of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs.

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

They are feared and dreaded. Their judgement and their dignity proceed from themselves.

8 Their horses are swifter than leopards, quicker than wolves hunting at dusk. From afar they come swooping down, like an eagle attacking its prey.

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

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

All of them come for violence. Their hordes face forward. They gather prisoners like sand.

10 At kings they scoff, and princes are sport to them. They laugh at every fortress, and heap up earth to take it.

Yes, they scoff at kings, and princes are a derision to them. They laugh at every stronghold, for they build up an earthen ramp and take it.

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

Then they sweep by like the wind and go on. They are indeed guilty, whose strength is their god.”

12 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.

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

13 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?

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,

14 You have made people like the fish of the sea, like reptiles that have no ruler.

and make men like the fish of the sea, like the creeping things that have no ruler over them?

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

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

16 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.

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

17 Will they empty their nets continually, slaughter nations unpityingly?

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