The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk 1 The iniquity of Judah: it will be punished by the Chaldeans: the intercession of the prophet

 The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk 1

The iniquity of Judah: it will be punished by the Chaldeans: the intercession of the prophet

1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

2 How long, O Lord, shall I cry for help, and you shall not hear? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” and you shall not save?

3 Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you look upon wickedness? For destruction and violence are before me; there is also one who stirs up strife and contention.

4 Therefore the law is slackened, and justice never goes forth; for the wicked surround the righteous, and justice goes forth perverted.

5 Look among the nations, and see, and wonder and marvel; for I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

6 For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs.

7 They are terrible and dreadful; their judgment and their greatness will proceed from themselves.

8 Their horses are swifter than leopards, and more shrewd than evening wolves; their horsemen spread themselves everywhere; yes, their horsemen will come from afar, they will fly like eagles that hasten to their prey.

9 They will all come with violence: their faces will seek the east; they will gather captives like sand.

10 They will scoff at kings and make a mockery of princes; they will laugh at every stronghold, for they will heap up earth and take it.

11 Then it will pass like the wind, and trample, and become guilty, attributing this power to its god.

12 Are you not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die; O Lord, you have appointed him for judgment, and you, O Rock, have established him for punishment.

13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? But you are silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves.

14 Would you make mankind like the fish of the sea, like reptiles that have no ruler over them?

15 He catches them all with a hook, he gathers them in his net, he gathers them in his dragnet; therefore he rejoices and is glad.

16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet; For with them his portion was fattened, and his food was increased.

17 Will he therefore empty his net, and will he not cease to kill the peoples continually?