1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.2 Jehovah, how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear? I cry out unto thee, Violence! and thou dost not save.3 Why dost thou cause me to see iniquity, and lookest thou upon grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up.4 Therefore the law is powerless, and justice doth never go forth; for the wicked encompasseth the righteous; therefore judgment goeth forth perverted.5 See ye among the nations, and behold, and wonder marvellously; for {I} work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be declared {to you}.6 For behold, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and impetuous nation, which marcheth through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling-places that are not theirs.7 They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.8 And their horses are swifter than the leopards, and are more agile than the evening wolves; and their horsemen prance proudly, and their horsemen come from afar: they fly as an eagle that hasteth to devour.9 They come all of them for violence: the crowd of their faces is forwards, and they gather captives as the sand.10 Yea, he scoffeth at kings, and princes are a scorn unto him; he derideth every stronghold: for he heapeth up dust, and taketh it.11 Then will his mind change, and he will pass on, and become guilty: this his power is become his +god.12 -Art thou not from everlasting, Jehovah my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. Jehovah, thou hast ordained him for judgment; and thou, O Rock, hast appointed him for correction.13 {Thou art} of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on mischief: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, {and} keepest silence when the wicked swalloweth up a {man} more righteous than he?14 And thou makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them.15 He taketh up all of them with the hook, he catcheth them in his net, and gathereth them into his drag; therefore he rejoiceth and is glad:16 therefore he sacrificeth unto his net, and burneth incense unto his drag; for by them his portion is become fat, and his meat dainty.17 Shall he therefore empty his net, and not spare to slay the nations continually?

1 Die Godspraak wat H bakuk, die profeet, gesien het.2 Hoe lank, o HERE, roep ek om hulp, maar U hoor nie; skreeu ek tot U: Geweld! -- maar U help nie?3 Waarom laat U my onreg sien en aanskou U die moeite! Ja, verwoesting en geweld is voor my oë; en daar is stryd, en twis begin.4 Daarom verloor die wet sy krag, en die reg kom nooit meer te voorskyn nie; want die goddelose omsingel die regverdige, daarom kom die reg verdraaid te voorskyn.5 Aanskou onder die nasies en merk op, en staan verstom, verstom; want Ek gaan iets in julle dae doen wat julle nie sal glo as dit vertel word nie.6 Want kyk, Ek gaan die Chaldeërs opwek, daardie kwaai en onstuimige nasie wat trek deur die wydtes van die aarde, om wonings in besit te neem wat aan hom nie behoort nie.7 Verskriklik en gedug is hy, van homself gaan sy reg en hoogheid uit.8 En vinniger as luiperds is sy perde en gouer as aandwolwe; en op 'n galop kom sy ruiters, ja, sy ruiters! Van ver kom hulle aangevlieg net soos 'n arend wat op sy prooi neerskiet!9 Hulle kom almal om geweld te pleeg; die rigting van hulle gesigte is vorentoe, sodat hy gevangenes versamel soos sand.10 Ook dryf hy die spot met konings, en vorste is vir hom 'n belagging; hy lag om elke vesting; hy hoop grond daarteen op en neem dit in.11 Dan gly hy verby, 'n wind, en trek verder -- maar word skuldig, hy wie se krag sy god is.12 Is U dan nie uit die voortyd nie, o HERE, my God, my Heilige? Ons sal nie sterwe nie. HERE, tot 'n strafoordeel het U hom bestel en, o Rots, tot 'n tugroede het U hom bestem!13 U, wat te rein is van oë om die kwaad aan te sien en die onreg nie kan aanskou nie -- waarom aanskou U die trouelose, swyg U wanneer die goddelose die verslind wat regverdiger is as hy?14 So maak U dan mense soos visse van die see, soos kruipende gedierte wat geen heerser oor hulle het nie.15 Hy trek hulle almal op met die hoek, sleep hulle in sy net en vergader hulle in sy seën; daarom is hy vrolik en juig.16 Daarom offer hy aan sy net en laat rook opgaan vir sy seën; want deur hulle is sy aandeel vet en sy spys weelderig.17 Sal hy daarom sy net uitskud en gedurigdeur nasies doodmaak sonder verskoning?