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Habakkuk 1
1599 Geneva Bible
Habakkuk 1
1599 Geneva Bible
Habakkuk
1 1 A complaint against the wicked that persecute the just.
1 The burden, which Habakkuk the Prophet did see.
2 O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee [a]for violence, and thou wilt not help!
3 Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold sorrow? for spoiling, and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.
4 Therefore the Law is dissolved, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth [b]compass about the righteous: therefore [c]wrong judgment proceedeth.
5 Behold among the heathen, and regard, and wonder, and marvel: for I will work a work in your days: [d]ye will not believe it, though it be told you.
6 For lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and furious nation, which shall go upon the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.
7 They are terrible and fearful: [e]their judgment, and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.
8 Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the wolves in the (A)evening: and their horsemen are many: and their horsemen shall come from far: they shall fly as the eagle hasting to meat.
9 They come all to spoil: for their faces shall be an [f]East wind, and they shall gather the captivity [g]as the sand.
10 And they shall mock the Kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every stronghold: for they shall gather [h]dust, and take it.
11 Then shall they [i]take a courage, and transgress and do wickedly, imputing this their power unto their god.
12 Art not thou of old, O Lord my God, mine holy One? we shall not [j]die: O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment, and O God, thou hast established them for correction.
13 Thou art of pure eyes, and canst not see evil: thou canst not behold wickedness: wherefore dost thou look upon the transgressors, and holdest thy tongue, when the wicked devoureth the man, that is more righteous than he?
14 And makest men as the [k]fishes of the sea, and as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
15 They take up all with the angle: they catch it in their net, and gather it in their yarn, whereof they rejoice and are glad.
16 Therefore they sacrifice unto their [l]net, and burn incense unto their yarn, because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.
17 Shall they therefore stretch out their net, and not spare continually to slay [m]the nations?
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 1:2 The Prophet complaineth unto God, and bewaileth that among the Jews is left none equity and brotherly love: but instead hereof reigneth cruelty, theft, contention and strife.
- Habakkuk 1:4 To suppress him, if any should show himself zealous of God’s cause.
- Habakkuk 1:4 Because the judges which should redress this excess, are as evil as the rest.
- Habakkuk 1:5 As in times past you would not believe God’s word, so shall ye not now believe the strange plagues which are at hand.
- Habakkuk 1:7 They themselves shall be your judges in this cause, and none shall have authority over them to control them.
- Habakkuk 1:9 For the Jews most feared this wind, because it destroyed their fruits.
- Habakkuk 1:9 They shall be so many in number.
- Habakkuk 1:10 They shall cast up mounts against it.
- Habakkuk 1:11 The Prophet comforteth the faithful that God will also destroy the Babylonians, because they shall abuse this victory, and become proud and insolent, attributing the praise hereof to their idols.
- Habakkuk 1:12 He assureth the godly of God’s protection, showing that the enemy can do no more than God hath appointed, and also that their sins required such a sharp rod.
- Habakkuk 1:14 So that the great devoureth the small, and the Chaldeans destroy all the world.
- Habakkuk 1:16 Meaning, that the enemies flatter themselves, and glory in their own force, power and wit.
- Habakkuk 1:17 Meaning, that they should not.
Habakkuk 1
New International Version
Habakkuk 1
New International Version
1 The prophecy(A) that Habakkuk the prophet received.
Habakkuk’s Complaint
2 How long,(B) Lord, must I call for help,
but you do not listen?(C)
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you do not save?(D)
3 Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate(E) wrongdoing?(F)
Destruction and violence(G) are before me;
there is strife,(H) and conflict abounds.
4 Therefore the law(I) is paralyzed,
and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
so that justice(J) is perverted.(K)
The Lord’s Answer
5 “Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.(L)
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.(M)
6 I am raising up the Babylonians,[a](N)
that ruthless and impetuous people,
who sweep across the whole earth(O)
to seize dwellings not their own.(P)
7 They are a feared and dreaded people;(Q)
they are a law to themselves
and promote their own honor.
8 Their horses are swifter(R) than leopards,
fiercer than wolves(S) at dusk.
Their cavalry gallops headlong;
their horsemen come from afar.
They fly like an eagle swooping to devour;
9 they all come intent on violence.
Their hordes[b] advance like a desert wind
and gather prisoners(T) like sand.
10 They mock kings
and scoff at rulers.(U)
They laugh at all fortified cities;
by building earthen ramps(V) they capture them.
11 Then they sweep past like the wind(W) and go on—
guilty people, whose own strength is their god.”(X)
Habakkuk’s Second Complaint
12 Lord, are you not from everlasting?(Y)
My God, my Holy One,(Z) you[c] will never die.(AA)
You, Lord, have appointed(AB) them to execute judgment;
you, my Rock,(AC) have ordained them to punish.
13 Your eyes are too pure(AD) to look on evil;
you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.(AE)
Why then do you tolerate(AF) the treacherous?(AG)
Why are you silent while the wicked
swallow up those more righteous than themselves?(AH)
14 You have made people like the fish in the sea,
like the sea creatures that have no ruler.
15 The wicked(AI) foe pulls all of them up with hooks,(AJ)
he catches them in his net,(AK)
he gathers them up in his dragnet;
and so he rejoices and is glad.
16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net
and burns incense(AL) to his dragnet,
for by his net he lives in luxury
and enjoys the choicest food.
17 Is he to keep on emptying his net,
destroying nations without mercy?(AM)
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 1:6 Or Chaldeans
- Habakkuk 1:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Habakkuk 1:12 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition; Masoretic Text we
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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