1 T he oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

2 H ow long, O Lord, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save.

O Jehovah, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? I cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save.

3 W hy do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises.

Why dost thou show me iniquity, and look upon perverseness? for destruction and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up.

4 T herefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted.

Therefore the law is slacked, and justice doth never go forth; for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore justice goeth forth perverted.

5 “ Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days— You would not believe if you were told.

Behold ye among the nations, and look, and wonder marvellously; for I am working a work in your days, which ye will not believe though it be told you.

6 “ For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, That fierce and impetuous people Who march throughout the earth To seize dwelling places which are not theirs.

For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, that march through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling-places that are not theirs.

7 “ They are dreaded and feared; Their justice and authority originate with themselves.

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

8 “ Their horses are swifter than leopards And keener than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.

Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves; and their horsemen press proudly on: yea, their horsemen come from far; they fly as an eagle that hasteth to devour.

9 “ All of them come for violence. Their horde of faces moves forward. They collect captives like sand.

They come all of them for violence; the set of their faces is forwards; and they gather captives as the sand.

10 “ They mock at kings And rulers are a laughing matter to them. They laugh at every fortress And heap up rubble to capture it.

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

11 “ Then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, They whose strength is their god.”

Then shall he sweep by as a wind, and shall pass over, and be guilty, even he whose might is his god.

12 A re You not from everlasting, O Lord, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O Lord, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct.

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

13 Y our eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?

Thou that art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and that canst not look on perverseness, wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy peace when the wicked swalloweth up the man that is more righteous than he;

14 W hy have You made men like the fish of the sea, Like creeping things without a ruler over them?

and makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?

15 T he Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are glad.

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

16 T herefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large, And their food is plentiful.

Therefore he sacrificeth unto his net, and burneth incense unto his drag; because by them his portion is fat, and his food plenteous.

17 W ill they therefore empty their net And continually slay nations without sparing?

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