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

¶ The burden which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

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?

O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear; and raise my voice unto thee because of the violence, and thou wilt 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 cause me to behold grievance and destruction and violence before me, in addition to those that raise up strife and contention?

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 weakened, and the judgment does not go forth true: for the wicked compasses about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceeds.

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.

¶ Behold among the Gentiles and regard and wonder marvelously, for a work shall be done in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

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 hasty nation, which march through the breadth of the earth to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.

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

She is terrible and dreadful: from her herself shall go forth their rights and their grandeur.

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.

Their horses shall be swifter than tigers and are sharper than the evening wolves, and their horsemen shall multiply themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as eagles that hasten to eat.

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

All of her shall come for the prey, before their faces an east wind, and they shall gather the 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.

And he shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto him, he shall deride every fortress and shall heap dust and take 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 he shall become arrogant against God, and he shall pass ahead and shall be found guilty, imputing this his power unto 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 the beginning, O LORD my God, my Holy One? we shall not die, O LORD, thou hast ordained him for judgment, and thou hast established him strong for chastisement.

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?

Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity: why dost thou look upon those that deal treacherously and hold thy tongue when the wicked devour the man that is 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 dost make men as the fishes of the sea, as reptiles that have no lord?

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 shall take up all of them with his hook; he shall catch them in his net and gather them in his drag: therefore, he shall rejoice and be 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 shall sacrifice unto his net and burn incense unto his drag because by them his portion is fat, and his food plenteous.

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

Shall he therefore empty his net, or have pity to stop slaying Gentiles continually?