Habakkuk 1

1 The message seen by the prophet Habakkuk.

The burden, which Habakkuk the Prophet did see.

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

O Lord, howe long shall I crye, and thou wilt not heare! euen crye out vnto thee for violence, and thou wilt not helpe!

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

Why doest thou shewe mee iniquitie, and cause me to beholde sorowe? for spoyling, and violence are before me: and there are that rayse vp strife and contention.

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

Therefore the Lawe is dissolued, and iudgement doeth neuer go forth: for the wicked doeth compasse about the righteous: therefore wrong iudgement proceedeth.

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.

Beholde among the heathen, and regarde, and wonder, and maruaile: for I will worke a worke in your dayes: yee will not beleeue it, though it be tolde 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 lo, I raise vp the Caldeans, that bitter and furious nation, which shall goe vpon the breadth of the lande to possesse the dwelling places, that are not theirs.

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

They are terrible and fearefull: their iudgement and their dignitie shall proceede of theselues.

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 then the leopards, and are more fierce then the wolues in the euening: and their horsemen are many: and their horsemen shall come from farre: they shall flie as the eagle hasting to meate.

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

They come all to spoyle: before their faces shalbe an Eastwinde, and they shall gather the captiuitie, as the sand.

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

And they shall mocke the Kings, and the princes shalbe a skorne vnto them: they shall deride euery strong holde: for they shall gather dust, and take it.

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

Then shall they take a courage, and transgresse and doe wickedly, imputing this their power vnto 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.

Art thou not of olde, O Lord my God, mine holy one? we shall not die: O Lord, thou hast ordeined them for iudgement, and O God, thou hast established them for correction.

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?

Thou art of pure eyes, and canst not see euill: thou canst not behold wickednesse: wherefore doest thou looke vpon the transgressors, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked deuoureth the man, that is more righteous then he?

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

And makest men as the fishes of the sea, and as the creeping things, that haue no ruler ouer them.

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

They take vp all with the angle: they catch it in their net, and gather it in their yarne, whereof they reioyce and are 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 they sacrifice vnto their net, and burne incense vnto their yarne, because by them their portion is fat and their meat plenteous.

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

Shall they therefore stretch out their net and not spare continually to slay the nations?