Habakkuk 1

1 The pronouncement  * 1:1 Is 13:1; 30:6; Jr 18:18; Ezk 12:10; Hab 1:1; Zch 9:1; 12:1; Mal 1:1 that the prophet Habakkuk saw.  * 1:1 Nm 24:4; Jb 19:26; Is 13:1

Habakkuk’s First Prayer

2 How long,  * 1:2 Ps 4:2; 6:3; 13:1Lord, must I call for help  * 1:2 Jb 19:7; Ps 5:2; Lm 3:8

and you do not listen

or cry out to you about violence  * 1:2 Jr 6:7; Ezk 7:11,23; 8:17; 12:19; 45:9; Mc 6:12; Hab 1:9; 2:8,17

and you do not save?

3 Why do you force me to look at injustice?  * 1:3 Jb 4:8; Ps 5:5; Is 5:7

Why do you tolerate  * 1:3 Lit observe, also in v. 13  wrongdoing?

Oppression and violence are right in front of me.

Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.

4 This is why the law is ineffective

and justice never emerges.

For the wicked restrict  * 1:4 Jdg 20:43; Ps 22:12 the righteous;

therefore, justice  * 1:4 Ex 23:6 comes out perverted.

God’s First Answer

5 Look at the nations  * 1:5 DSS, LXX, Syr read Look, you treacherous people,* 1:5 Ps 2:1 and observe  * 1:5 Gn 15:5  —

be utterly astounded!  * 1:5 Gn 43:33; Ps 48:5; Ec 5:8

For I am doing something in your days

that you will not believe  * 1:5 Gn 15:6

when you hear about it.  * 1:5 Ac 13:41

6 Look! I am raising up  * 1:6 Ru 4:5 the Chaldeans,  * 1:6 = the Babylonians

that bitter,  * 1:6 Jdg 18:25 impetuous nation

that marches across the earth’s open spaces

to seize territories not its own.

7 They are fierce  * 1:7 Sg 6:4,10 and terrifying;

their views of justice and sovereignty

stem from themselves.

8 Their horses are swifter  * 1:8 2Sm 1:23 than leopards  * 1:8 Is 11:6; Jr 5:6; 13:23; Hs 13:7

and more fierce  * 1:8 Or and quicker than wolves of the night.

Their horsemen charge ahead;

their horsemen come from distant lands.

They fly like eagles, swooping to devour.  * 1:8 Dt 28:49

9 All of them come to do violence;

their faces  * 1:9 Gn 48:11 are set in determination.  * 1:9 Hb obscure

They gather  * 1:9 Dt 11:14 prisoners like sand.  * 1:9 Jos 11:4

10 They mock  * 1:10 2Kg 2:23  kings,

and rulers are a joke to them.

They laugh  * 1:10 2Ch 30:10 at every fortress

and build siege ramps to capture  * 1:10 Nm 21:32  it.

11 Then they sweep  * 1:11 Is 8:8 by like the wind

and pass through.

They are guilty;  * 1:11 Or wind, and transgress and incur guilt their strength is their god.

Habakkuk’s Second Prayer

12 Are you not from eternity, Lord  my God?  * 1:12 1Ch 29:10; Ps 90:2; 93:2; 103:17; Mc 5:2

My Holy One,  * 1:12 Is 1:4 you  * 1:12 Alt Hb tradition reads we  will not die.

Lord, you appointed them to execute judgment;

my Rock,  * 1:12 Dt 32:4; Ps 18:2 you destined them to punish us.

13 Your eyes  * 1:13 2Ch 6:20; 16:9 are too pure  * 1:13 Ex 25:11; Ps 12:6; 19:9; 51:10; Pr 22:11; Ezk 36:25 to look on evil,

and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.

So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous?  * 1:13 Jdg 9:23

Why are you silent

while one  * 1:13 = Babylon who is wicked swallows up

one  * 1:13 = Judah who is more righteous than himself?

14 You have made mankind

like the fish of the sea,  * 1:14 Ec 9:12

like marine creatures that have no ruler.

15 The Chaldeans pull them all up with a hook,

catch them in their dragnet,  * 1:15 2Kg 19:28; 2Ch 33:11; Is 37:29; Jr 16:16; Ezk 19:4,9; 29:4; 38:4; Am 4:2

and gather them in their fishing net;

that is why they are glad and rejoice.

16 That is why they sacrifice to their dragnet

and burn incense to their fishing net,

for by these things their portion is rich

and their food plentiful.  * 1:16 Dt 8:17; Is 10:13; 37:24–25

17 Will they therefore empty their net

and continually slaughter nations without mercy?