Habakkuk 1
Revised Standard Version
1 The oracle of God which Habak′kuk the prophet saw.
The Prophet’s Complaint
2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
and thou wilt not hear?
Or cry to thee “Violence!”
and thou wilt not save?
3 Why dost thou make me see wrongs
and look upon trouble?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
4 So the law is slacked
and justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous,
so justice goes forth perverted.
5 Look among the nations, and see;
wonder and be astounded.
For I am doing a work in your days
that you would not believe if told.
6 For lo, I am rousing the Chalde′ans,
that bitter and hasty nation,
who march through the breadth of the earth,
to seize habitations not their own.
7 Dread and terrible are they;
their justice and dignity proceed from themselves.
8 Their horses are swifter than leopards,
more fierce than the evening wolves;
their horsemen press proudly on.
Yea, their horsemen come from afar;
they fly like an eagle swift to devour.
9 They all come for violence;
terror[a] of them goes before them.
They gather captives like sand.
10 At kings they scoff,
and of rulers they make sport.
They laugh at every fortress,
for they heap up earth and take it.
11 Then they sweep by like the wind and go on,
guilty men, whose own might is their god!
12 Art thou not from everlasting,
O Lord my God, my Holy One?
We shall not die.
O Lord, thou hast ordained them as a judgment;
and thou, O Rock, hast established them for chastisement.
13 Thou who art of purer eyes than to behold evil
and canst not look on wrong,
why dost thou look on faithless men,
and art silent when the wicked swallows up
the man more righteous than he?
14 For thou makest men like the fish of the sea,
like crawling things that have no ruler.
15 He brings all of them up with a hook,
he drags them out with his net,
he gathers them in his seine;
so he rejoices and exults.
16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net
and burns incense to his seine;
for by them he lives in luxury,[b]
and his food is rich.
17 Is he then to keep on emptying his net,
and mercilessly slaying nations for ever?
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 1:9 Cn: Heb uncertain
- Habakkuk 1:16 Heb his portion is fat
Habakkuk 1
American Standard Version
1 The [a]burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.
2 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 Why dost thou show me iniquity, and [b]look upon perverseness? for destruction and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up. 4 Therefore the law is slacked, and justice [c]doth never go forth; for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore justice goeth forth perverted.
5 Behold ye among the nations, and look, and wonder marvellously; for [d]I am working a work in your days, which ye will not believe though it be told you. 6 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 [e]They are terrible and dreadful; their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. 8 Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves; and their horsemen [f]press proudly on: yea, their horsemen come from far; they fly as an eagle that hasteth to devour. 9 They come all of them for violence; [g]the set of their faces is [h]forwards; and they gather captives as the sand. 10 [i]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 [j]Then shall he sweep by as a wind, and shall [k]pass over, and be guilty, even he whose might is his god.
12 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 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 and makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them? 15 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 Therefore he sacrificeth unto his net, and burneth incense unto his drag; because by them his portion is fat, and his food [l]plenteous. 17 Shall he therefore empty his net, and spare not to slay the nations continually?
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 1:1 Or, oracle
- Habakkuk 1:3 Or, cause me to look
- Habakkuk 1:4 Or, goeth not forth unto victory
- Habakkuk 1:5 Or, one worketh
- Habakkuk 1:7 Hebrew He: and so in verses 8, 9.
- Habakkuk 1:8 Or, spread themselves
- Habakkuk 1:9 Hebrew the eagerness (or, assembling) of their faces is etc.
- Habakkuk 1:9 Or, towards the east
- Habakkuk 1:10 Or, And they scoff etc.
- Habakkuk 1:11 Or, Then shall the wind sweep by, and he shall pass away
- Habakkuk 1:11 Or, transgress
- Habakkuk 1:16 Hebrew fat.
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