Habakkuk 1

1 The burden that Habakkuk the prophet saw.

The message seen by the prophet Habakkuk.

2 How long, O Lord, shall I cry out, and you will not heed? Shall I shout to you while suffering 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 have you revealed to me iniquity and hardship, to see plunder and injustice opposite me? And there has been judgment, but the opposition is more powerful.

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

4 Because of this, the law has been torn apart, and judgment does not persevere to its conclusion. For the impious prevail against the just. Because of this, a perverse judgment is issued.

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

5 Gaze among the nations, and see. Admire, and be astounded. For a work has been done in your days, which no one will believe when it is told.

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 behold, I will raise up the Chaldeans, a bitter and swift people, marching across the width of the earth, to possess tabernacles not their own.

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 It is dreadful and terrible. From themselves, judgment and their burden will issue.

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

8 Their horses are more nimble than leopards and swifter than wolves in the evening; their horsemen will spread out. And then their horsemen will approach from far away; they will fly like the eagle, hurrying to devour.

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 will all approach towards the prey; their face is like a burning wind. And they will gather captives together like sand.

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

10 And concerning kings, he will triumph, and sovereign rulers will be his laughingstock, and he will laugh over every fortress, and he will transport a rampart and seize 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 his spirit will be altered, and he will cross over and fall. Such is his strength from his god.

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

12 Have you not existed from the beginning, Lord my God, my holy one, and so we shall not die? Lord, you have stationed him for judgment, and you have established that his strength will be swept away.

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 Your eyes are pure, you do not behold evil, and you cannot look towards iniquity. Why do you look upon the agents of iniquity, and remain silent, while the impious is devouring one who is more just than himself?

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 you will make men like the fish of the sea and like the creeping things that have no ruler.

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

15 He lifted up everything with his hook. He drew them in with his dragnet, and gathered them into his netting. Over this, he will rejoice and exult.

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

16 For this reason, he will offer victims to his dragnet, and he will sacrifice to his netting. For through them, his portion has been made fat, and his meals elite.

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 Because of this, therefore, he expands his dragnet and will not be lenient in continually putting to death the peoples.

Will they empty their nets continually, slaughter nations unpityingly?