Study Desk

The ^[a](a)oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

^(b)How long, O Lord , will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, "Violence!" Yet You do ^(c)not save.

Why do You make me ^(d)see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, ^(e)destruction and violence are before me; ^(f)Strife exists and contention arises.

Therefore the ^(g)law is ^[b]ignored And justice ^[c]is never upheld. For the wicked ^(h)surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out ⁽ⁱ⁾perverted.

"^(j)Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! ^(k)Wonder! Because I am doing ^(l)something in your days— You would not believe if ^[d]you were told.

"For behold, I am ^(m)raising up the Chaldeans, That ^[e]fierce and impetuous people Who march ^[f]throughout the earth To ^[g](n)seize dwelling places which are not theirs.

"They are dreaded and ^(o)feared; Their ^(p)justice and ^[h]authority ^[i]originate with themselves.

"Their ^(q)horses are swifter than leopards And ^[j]keener than ^(r)wolves in the evening. Their ^[k]horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an ^(s)eagle swooping down to devour.

"All of them come for violence. ^[l]Their horde of ^(t)faces moves forward. They collect captives like sand.

"They ^(u)mock at kings And rulers are a laughing matter to them. They ^(v)laugh at every fortress And ^(w)heap up rubble to capture it.

"Then they will sweep through like the ^(x)wind and pass on. But they will be held ^(y)guilty, They whose ^(z)strength is their god."

Are You not from ^(aa)everlasting, O Lord , my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O Lord , have ^(ab)appointed them to judge; And You, O ^(ac)Rock, have established them to correct.

Your eyes are too ^(ad)pure to ^[m]approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You ^(ae)look with favor On those who deal ^(af)treacherously? Why are You ^(ag)silent when the wicked ^(ah)swallow up Those more righteous than they?

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

The Chaldeans ^(ai)bring all of them up with a hook, ^(aj)Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are glad.

Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And ^[n]burn incense to their fishing net; Because through ^(ak)these things their ^[o]catch is ^[p]large, And their food is ^[q]plentiful.

Will they therefore empty their ^(al)net And continually ^(am)slay nations without sparing?