1 T he burden or oracle (the thing to be lifted up) which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help and You will not hear? Or cry out to You of violence and You will not save?

Jehovah, how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear? I cry out unto thee, Violence! and thou dost not save.

3 W hy do You show me iniquity and wrong, and Yourself look upon or cause me to see perverseness and trouble? For destruction and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention arises.

Why dost thou cause me to see iniquity, and lookest thou upon grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up.

4 T herefore the law is slackened and justice and a righteous sentence never go forth, for the wicked surrounds the righteous; therefore justice goes forth perverted.

Therefore the law is powerless, and justice doth never go forth; for the wicked encompasseth the righteous; therefore judgment goeth forth perverted.

5 L ook around among the nations and see! And be astonished! Astounded! For I am putting into effect a work in your days that you would not believe it if it were told you.

See ye among the nations, and behold, and wonder marvellously; for work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be declared.

6 F or behold, I am rousing up the Chaldeans, that bitter and impetuous nation who march through the breadth of the earth to take possession of dwelling places that do not belong to them.

For behold, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and impetuous nation, which marcheth through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling-places that are not theirs.

7 a re terrible and dreadful; their justice and dignity proceed from themselves.

They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.

8 T heir horses also are swifter than leopards and are fiercer than the evening wolves, and their horsemen spread themselves and press on proudly; yes, their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle that hastens to devour.

And their horses are swifter than the leopards, and are more agile than the evening wolves; and their horsemen prance proudly, and their horsemen come from afar: they fly as an eagle that hasteth to devour.

9 T hey all come for violence; their faces turn eagerly forward, and they gather prisoners together like sand.

They come all of them for violence: the crowd of their faces is forwards, and they gather captives as the sand.

10 T hey scoff at kings, and rulers are a derision to them; they ridicule every stronghold, for they heap up dust and take it.

Yea, he scoffeth at kings, and princes are a scorn unto him; he derideth every stronghold: for he heapeth up dust, and taketh it.

11 T hen they sweep by like a wind and pass on, and they load themselves with guilt, whose own power is their god.

Then will his mind change, and he will pass on, and become guilty: this his power is become his +god.

12 A re not You from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, You have appointed to execute judgment, and You, O Rock, have established him for chastisement and correction.

—Art thou not from everlasting, Jehovah my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. Jehovah, thou hast ordained him for judgment; and thou, O Rock, hast appointed him for correction.

13 Y ou are of purer eyes than to behold evil and can not look upon injustice. Why then do You look upon the plunderer? Why are you silent when the wicked one destroys him who is more righteous than is?

of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on mischief: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, keepest silence when the wicked swalloweth up a more righteous than he?

14 W hy do You make men like the fish of the sea, like reptiles and creeping things that have no ruler ?

And thou makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them.

15 b rings all of them up with his hook; he catches and drags them out with his net, he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is in high spirits.

He taketh up all of them with the hook, he catcheth them in his net, and gathereth them into his drag; therefore he rejoiceth and is glad:

16 T herefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, because from them he lives luxuriously and his food is plentiful and rich.

therefore he sacrificeth unto his net, and burneth incense unto his drag; for by them his portion is become fat, and his meat dainty.

17 S hall he therefore continue to empty his net and mercilessly go on slaying the nations forever?

Shall he therefore empty his net, and not spare to slay the nations continually?