THE PROPHET
HABAKKUK
Habakkuk 1 ©
The prophet complains of the great wickedness and iniquity of the Jewish people, v. 2. He declares that by reason of those sins, the Chaldeans were to come suddenly upon them with great powers and destroy all things, 5. He prays to the LORD that the enemies, having sinned more grievously than the Jews, may not be suffered to satisfy all their mischievous desires upon them, but be punished rather themselves, 12, etc.
THE1 burden which Habakkuk the prophet 2did see.
O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of 3violence, and thou wilt not save!
Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold 4grievance? for spoiling and violence are 5before me: and 6there are 7that raise up strife and contention.
Therefore the law is 8slacked, and judgment 9doth never go forth: for the 10wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment 11proceedeth.
¶ 12Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for Ia will work a work 13in your days, which ye will not believe, 14though it be told you.
For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and 15hasty nation, which shall march 16through the breadth of the land, 17to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
18They are terrible and dreadful: 19their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.
20Their horses also are 21swifter than the leopards, and are more 22fierce than 23the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come 24from far; they shall 25fly 26as the eagle that hasteth to eat.
27They shall come all 28for violence: 29their faces shall sup up as 30the east wind, and they shall gather 31the captivity 32as the sand.
And 33they shall scoff 34at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride 35every strong hold; for 36they shall heap dust, and 37take it.
38Then shall 39his 40mind change, and he shall 41pass over, and 42offend, imputing 43this his power unto his god.
¶Art thou not 44from everlasting, O LORD my God, 45mine Holy One? 46we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them 47for judgment; and, 48O mighty God, thou hast established them 49for correction.
Thou art of purer eyes than 50to behold 51evil, and 52canst not look on 53iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them 54that deal treacherously, and 55holdest thy tongue when 56the wicked devoureth the man 57that is more righteous than he?
58And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, 59that have no ruler over them?
60They take 61up 62all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: 63therefore they rejoice and are glad.
64Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because 65by them 66their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.
67Shall they therefore 68empty their net, and not spare continually 69to slay the nations?