1 T he revelation which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

¶ The burden which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

2 Y ahweh, how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I cry out to you “Violence!” and will you 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 look at perversity? For destruction and violence are before me. There is strife, and contention rises up.

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 paralyzed, and justice never prevails; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice comes out 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 “ 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.

¶ 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 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.

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 T hey are feared and dreaded. Their judgment and their 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 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.

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 A ll of them come for violence. Their hordes face the desert. He gathers prisoners 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 Y es, 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.

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 he sweeps by like the wind, and goes on. He is indeed guilty, whose strength is his 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 ren’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.

¶ 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 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,

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 a nd make men like the fish of the sea, like the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?

And dost make men as the fishes of the sea, as reptiles that have no lord?

15 H e 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.

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 by them his life is luxurious, and his food is good.

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

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