1 T he oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

The revelation which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

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.

Yahweh, how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I cry out to you “Violence!” and will you 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 do you show me iniquity, and look at perversity? For destruction and violence are before me. There is strife, and contention rises 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 paralyzed, and justice never prevails; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice comes out 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.

“Look among the nations, watch, and wonder marvelously; for I am working a work in your days, which you will not believe though it is 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, behold, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, that march through the width 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 feared and dreaded. 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. Their horsemen press proudly on. Yes, their horsemen come from afar. They fly as an eagle that hurries to devour.

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

All of them come for violence. Their hordes face the desert. He gathers prisoners like 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.

Yes, he scoffs at kings, and princes are a derision to him. He laughs at every stronghold, for he builds up an earthen ramp, and takes 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 he sweeps by like the wind, and goes on. He is indeed guilty, whose strength 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.

Aren’t you from everlasting, Yahweh my God, my Holy One? We will not die. Yahweh, you have appointed him for judgment. You, Rock, have established him to punish.

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?

You who have purer eyes than to see evil, and who cannot look on perversity, why do you tolerate those who deal treacherously, and keep silent when the wicked swallows up the man who 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 make men like the fish of the sea, like 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 takes up all of them with the hook. He catches them in his net, and gathers them in his dragnet. Therefore he rejoices 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 sacrifices to his net, and burns incense to his dragnet, because by them his life is luxurious, and his food is good.

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

Will he therefore continually empty his net, and kill the nations without mercy?