1 T he burden that Habakkuk the prophet hath seen:

The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

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

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

3 W hy 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,

Why 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.

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

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

5 L ook 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.

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

6 F or, 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.

“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.

7 T errible and fearful it, From itself its judgment and its excellency go forth.

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

8 S wifter 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.

“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.

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

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

10 A nd 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.

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

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

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

12 A rt 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.

Are 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.

13 P urer 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,

Your 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?

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

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

15 E ach 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.

The 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.

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

Therefore 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.

17 D oth he therefore empty his net, And continually to slay nations spare not?

Will they therefore empty their net And continually slay nations without sparing?