1 ¶ The burden which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

The burden that Habakkuk the prophet hath seen:

2 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?

Till when, O Jehovah, have I cried, And Thou dost not hear? I cry unto Thee -- `Violence,' and Thou dost not save.

3 W hy 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?

Why dost Thou shew me iniquity, And perversity dost cause to behold? And spoiling and violence before me, And there is strife, and contention doth lift up,

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

Therefore doth law cease, And judgment doth not go forth for ever, For the wicked is compassing the righteous, Therefore wrong judgment goeth forth.

5 ¶ 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.

Look ye on nations, and behold and marvel greatly. For a work He is working in your days, Ye do not believe though it is declared.

6 F or, 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.

For, lo, I am raising up the Chaldeans, The bitter and hasty nation, That is going to the broad places of earth, To occupy tabernacles not its own.

7 S he is terrible and dreadful: from her herself shall go forth their rights and their grandeur.

Terrible and fearful it, From itself its judgment and its excellency go forth.

8 T heir 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.

Swifter than leopards have been its horses, And sharper than evening wolves, And increased have its horsemen, Even its horsemen from afar come in, They fly as an eagle, hasting to consume.

9 A ll of her shall come for the prey, before their faces an east wind, and they shall gather the captives as the sand.

Wholly for violence it doth come in, Their faces swallowing up the east wind, And it doth gather as the sand a captivity.

10 A nd 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.

And at kings it doth scoff, And princes a laughter to it, At every fenced place it doth laugh, And it heapeth up dust, and captureth it.

11 T hen he shall become arrogant against God, and he shall pass ahead and shall be found guilty, imputing this his power unto his god.

Then passed on hath the spirit, Yea, he doth transgress, And doth ascribe this his power to his god.

12 ¶ 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.

Art not Thou of old, O Jehovah, my God, my Holy One? We do not die, O Jehovah, For judgment Thou hast appointed it, And, O Rock, for reproof Thou hast founded it.

13 T hou 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?

Purer of eyes than to behold evil, To look on perverseness Thou art not able, Why dost Thou behold the treacherous? Thou keepest silent when the wicked Doth swallow the more righteous than he,

14 A nd dost make men as the fishes of the sea, as reptiles that have no lord?

And Thou makest man as fishes of the sea, As a creeping thing -- none ruling over him.

15 H e 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.

Each of them with a hook he hath brought up, He doth catch it in his net, and gathereth it in his drag, Therefore he doth joy and rejoice.

16 T herefore, he shall sacrifice unto his net and burn incense unto his drag because by them his portion is fat, and his food plenteous.

Therefore he doth sacrifice to his net, And doth make perfume to his drag, For by them his portion fertile, and his food fat.

17 S hall he therefore empty his net, or have pity to stop slaying Gentiles continually?

Doth he therefore empty his net, And continually to slay nations spare not?