Study Desk

The pronouncement which Habakkuk the prophet saw:

The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

How long, LORD, have I called for help, And You do not hear? I cry out to You, "Violence!" Yet You do not save.

O Lord , how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!

Why do You make me see disaster, And make me look at destitution? Yes, devastation and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises.

Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

Therefore the Law is ignored, And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out confused.

Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

"Look among the nations! Watch! Be horrified! Be frightened speechless! For I am accomplishing a work in your days— You would not believe it even if you were told!

Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

"For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, That grim and impetuous people Who march throughout the earth, To take possession of dwelling places that are not theirs.

For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not their's.

"They are terrifying and feared; Their justice and authority originate with themselves.

They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.

"Their horses are faster than leopards, And quicker than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen charge along, Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.

Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.

"All of them come for violence. Their horde of faces moves forward. They gather captives like sand.

They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.

"They make fun of kings, And dignitaries are an object of laughter to them. They laugh at every fortress, Then heap up dirt and capture it.

And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.

"Then they fly along like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, They whose strength is their god."

Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.

Are You not from time everlasting, LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, LORD, have appointed them to deliver judgment; And You, O Rock, have destined them to punish.

Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O Lord , thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.

Your eyes are too pure to look at evil, And You cannot look at harm favorably. Why do You look favorably At those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?

Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

Why have You made people like the fish of the sea, Like crawling things that have no ruler over them?

And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?

The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are joyful.

They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad.

Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And burn incense to their fishing net, Because through these things their catch is large, And their food is plentiful.

Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.

Will they therefore empty their net, And continually slay nations without sparing?

Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?