Habakkuk 1

1 The word which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

The revelation which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

2 How long, O Lord, will your ears be shut to my voice? I make an outcry to you about violent behaviour, but you do not send salvation.

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 see evil-doing, and why are my eyes fixed on wrong? for wasting and violent acts are before me: and there is fighting and bitter argument.

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 For this reason the law is feeble and decisions are not effected: for the upright man is circled round by evil-doers; because of which right is twisted.

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

5 See among the nations, and take note, and be full of wonder: for in your days I am doing a work in which you will have no belief, even if news of it is given to you.

“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 see, I am sending the Chaldaeans, that bitter and quick-moving nation; who go through the wide spaces of the earth to get for themselves living-places which are not theirs.

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 are greatly to be feared: their right comes from themselves.

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

8 And their horses are quicker than leopards and their horsemen more cruel than evening wolves; they come from far away, like an eagle in flight rushing on its food.

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 are coming all of them with force; the direction of their faces is forward, the number of their prisoners is like the sands of the sea.

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

10 He makes little of kings, rulers are a sport to him; all the strong places are to be laughed at; for he makes earthworks and takes them.

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 his purpose will be changed, over-stepping the limit; he will make his strength his 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, O Lord my God, my Holy One? for you there is no death. O Lord, he has been ordered by you for our punishment; and by you, O Rock, he has been marked out to put us right.

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 Before your holy eyes sin may not be seen, and you are unable to put up with wrong; why, then, are your eyes on the false? why do you say nothing when the evil-doer puts an end to one who is more upright than himself?

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 He has made men like the fishes of the sea, like the worms which have no ruler over them.

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

15 He takes them all up with his hook, he takes them in his net, getting them together in his fishing-net: for which cause he is glad and full of joy.

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 For this reason he makes an offering to his net, burning perfume to his fishing-net; because by them he gets much food and his meat is fat.

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 For this cause his net is ever open, and there is no end to his destruction of the nations.

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