1
The burden which Habakkuk the prophet beheld.
2
O Jehovah, how▵ long◦ shall I cry··out, and Thou wilt not hear! I cry to▵ Thee of violence, and Thou wilt not save!
3
Why dost Thou cause me to see iniquity◦, and cause me to look on mischief◦? And devastation and violence are in··front··of me; and there is strife, and contention is lifted··up.
4
Therefore the law has failed, and perpetually judgment does not go··out; for the wicked closes··around the just; therefore crooked judgment goes··out.
5
See among◦ the nations, and look, and amaze yourselves and be amazed; for a work is working in your days that you will· not ·believe, though◦ it be recounted◦.
6
For, behold, I◦ am raising··up the Chaldeans, the bitter and the hasty nation; and he* shall walk in the broad··places of the land, to possess habitations that are not his.
7
He◦ is terrifying and fearsome; from himself his judgment and his eminence shall go··out;
8
and his horses are··swifter than the leopards, and sharper◦ than the evening wolves; and his horsemen shall spread··out, and his horsemen shall come from far··off; they shall fly as the eagle that hurries to eat.
9
All shall come for violence; the panting··desire of their faces is toward the east, and he shall gather the captivity as the sand.
10
And he◦ shall scoff at the kings, and the rulers◦ shall be as a laugh to him; he◦ shall laugh at◦ every fortress; and he shall pile··up dust, and capture it.
11
Then▵ shall his spirit change, and he shall pass··by, and be··guilty, imputing this his power to his god▵.
12
Art Thou◦ not from ancient time, Jehovah my God, my Holy··One? Let us not die. Jehovah, Thou hast set him for judgment, and, O Rock, Thou hast founded him to be reproved.
13
Thine eyes are too· clean ·to see evil, and Thou art· not ·able to look at◦ mischief◦. Why lookest Thou upon those who act··treacherously, and art··silent when the wicked swallows··up someone more just than he?
14
And why* makest Thou man as the fish of the sea, as the creeping thing that has not a ruler?
15
He brings··up all with the hook◦; he collects▵ him in his net◦, and gathers him in his trawl; therefore he is··glad and rejoices.
16
Therefore he sacrifices to his net◦, and burns··incense to his trawl; for among◦ them◦ his part is with··oil, and his food is nourishing.
17
Shall he thus◦ empty his net◦, and not spare◦ continually to kill the nations?
