Habakkuk 1 — AAB

Habakkuk’s First Complaint

1Verse 1This is the burden that Habakkuk the prophet received in a vision:^{Verse 2}How long, O LORD, must I call for helpbut You do not hear,or cry out to You, “Violence!”but You do not save?^{Verse 3}Why do You make me see iniquity?Why do You tolerate wrongdoing?Destruction and violence are before me.Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds.^{Verse 4}Therefore the law is paralyzed,and justice never goes forth.For the wicked hem in the righteous,so that justice is perverted.

The LORD’s Answer

^{Verse 5}“Look at the nations and observe—be utterly astounded!⁺For I am doing a work in your daysthat you would never believe
even if someone told you.^{+Verse 6}For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans⁺—that ruthless and impetuous nationwhich marches through the breadth of the earthto seize dwellings not their own.^{Verse 7}They are dreaded and feared;from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty.^{Verse 8}Their horses are swifter than leopards,fiercer than wolves of the night.Their horsemen charge ahead,and their cavalry comes from afar.They fly like a vulture,swooping down to devour.^{Verse 9}All of them come bent on violence;their hordes advance like the east wind;
they gather prisoners like sand.^{Verse 10}They scoff at kingsand make rulers an object of scorn.They laugh at every fortressand build up siege ramps to seize it.^{Verse 11}Then they sweep by like the windand pass through.They are guilty;their own strength is their god.”

Habakkuk’s Second Complaint

^{Verse 12}Are You not from everlasting,O LORD, my God, my Holy One?
We will not die.O LORD, You have appointed themto execute judgment;O Rock, You have established themfor correction.^{Verse 13}Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil,and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing.So why do You tolerate the faithless?Why are You silentwhile the wicked swallow upthose more righteous than themselves?^{Verse 14}You have made men like the fish of the sea,like creeping things that have no ruler.^{Verse 15}The foe pulls all of them up⁺with a hook;he catches them in his dragnet,and gathers them in his fishing net;so he rejoices gladly.^{Verse 16}Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnetand burns incense to his fishing net,for by these things his portion is sumptuousand his food is rich.^{Verse 17}Will he, therefore, empty his netand continue to slay nations without mercy?