1:1 The following is the message ¹  which God revealed to Habakkuk the prophet: ² 

1:2 How long, Lord, must I cry for help?

But you do not listen!

I call out to you, “Violence!”

But you do not intervene! ³ 

1:3 Why do you force me to witness injustice? ⁴ 

Why do you put up with wrongdoing? ⁵ 

Destruction and violence confront ⁶  me;

conflict is present and one must endure strife. ⁷ 

1:4 For this reason the law lacks power, ⁸ 

and justice is never carried out. ⁹ 

Indeed, ¹⁰  the wicked intimidate ¹¹  the innocent. ¹² 

For this reason justice is perverted. ¹³ 

1:5 “Look at the nations and pay attention! ¹⁴ 

You will be shocked and amazed! ¹⁵ 

For I will do something in your lifetime ¹⁶ 

that you will not believe even though you are forewarned. ¹⁷ 

1:6 Look, I am about to empower ¹⁸  the Babylonians,

that ruthless ¹⁹  and greedy ²⁰  nation.

They sweep across the surface ²¹  of the earth,

seizing dwelling places that do not belong to them.

1:7 They are frightening and terrifying;

they decide for themselves what is right. ²² 

1:8 Their horses are faster than leopards

and more alert ²³  than wolves in the desert. ²⁴ 

Their horses ²⁵  gallop, ²⁶ 

their horses come a great distance;

like a vulture ²⁷  they swoop down quickly to devour their prey. ²⁸ 

1:9 All of them intend ²⁹  to do violence;

every face is determined. ³⁰ 

They take prisoners as easily as one scoops up sand. ³¹ 

1:10 They mock kings

and laugh at rulers.

They laugh at every fortified city;

they build siege ramps ³²  and capture them.

1:11 They sweep by like the wind and pass on. ³³ 

But the one who considers himself a god will be held guilty.” ³⁴ 

1:12 Lord, you have been active from ancient times; ³⁵ 

my sovereign God, ³⁶  you are immortal. ³⁷ 

Lord, you have made them ³⁸  your instrument of judgment. ³⁹ 

Protector, ⁴⁰  you have appointed them as your instrument of punishment. ⁴¹ 

1:13 You are too just ⁴²  to tolerate ⁴³  evil;

you are unable to condone ⁴⁴  wrongdoing.

So why do you put up with such treacherous people? ⁴⁵ 

Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour ⁴⁶  those more righteous than they are? ⁴⁷ 

1:14 You made people like fish in the sea,

like animals in the sea ⁴⁸  that have no ruler.

1:15 The Babylonian tyrant ⁴⁹  pulls them all up with a fishhook;

he hauls them in with his throw net. ⁵⁰ 

When he catches ⁵¹  them in his dragnet,

he is very happy. ⁵² 

1:16 Because of his success ⁵³  he offers sacrifices to his throw net

and burns incense to his dragnet; ⁵⁴ 

for because of them he has plenty of food, ⁵⁵ 

and more than enough to eat. ⁵⁶ 

1:17 Will he then ⁵⁷  continue to fill and empty his throw net? ⁵⁸ 

Will he always ⁵⁹  destroy ⁶⁰  nations and spare none? ⁶¹ 

2:1 I will stand at my watch post;

I will remain stationed on the city wall. ⁶² 

I will keep watching, so I can see what he says to me

and can know ⁶³  how I should answer

when he counters my argument. ⁶⁴ 

2:2 The Lord responded: ⁶⁵ 

“Write down this message! ⁶⁶  Record it legibly on tablets,

so the one who announces ⁶⁷  it may read it easily. ⁶⁸ 

2:3 For the message is a witness to what is decreed; ⁶⁹ 

it gives reliable testimony about how matters will turn out. ⁷⁰ 

Even if the message ⁷¹  is not fulfilled right away, wait patiently; ⁷² 

for it will certainly come to pass – it will not arrive late.

2:4 Look, the one whose desires are not upright will faint from exhaustion, ⁷³ 

but the person of integrity ⁷⁴  will live ⁷⁵  because of his faithfulness. ⁷⁶ 

2:5 Indeed, wine will betray the proud, restless man! ⁷⁷ 

His appetite ⁷⁸  is as big as Sheol’s; ⁷⁹ 

like death, he is never satisfied.

He gathers ⁸⁰  all the nations;

he seizes ⁸¹  all peoples.

2:6 “But all these nations will someday taunt him ⁸² 

and ridicule him with proverbial sayings: ⁸³ 

‘The one who accumulates what does not belong to him is as good as dead ⁸⁴ 

(How long will this go on?) ⁸⁵  –

he who gets rich by extortion!’ ⁸⁶ 

2:7 Your creditors will suddenly attack; ⁸⁷ 

those who terrify you will spring into action, ⁸⁸ 

and they will rob you. ⁸⁹ 

2:8 Because you robbed many countries, ⁹⁰ 

all who are left among the nations ⁹¹  will rob you.

You have shed human blood

and committed violent acts against lands, cities, ⁹²  and those who live in them.

2:9 The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead. ⁹³ 

He does this so he can build his nest way up high

and escape the clutches of disaster. ⁹⁴ 

2:10 Your schemes will bring shame to your house.

Because you destroyed many nations, you will self-destruct. ⁹⁵ 

2:11 For the stones in the walls will cry out,

and the wooden rafters will answer back. ⁹⁶ 

2:12 The one who builds a city by bloodshed is as good as dead ⁹⁷  –

he who starts ⁹⁸  a town by unjust deeds.

2:13 Be sure of this! The Lord who commands armies has decreed:

The nations’ efforts will go up in smoke;

their exhausting work will be for nothing. ⁹⁹ 

2:14 For recognition of the Lord’s sovereign majesty will fill the earth

just as the waters fill up the sea. ¹⁰⁰ 

2:15 “You who force your neighbor to drink wine ¹⁰¹  are as good as dead ¹⁰²  –

you who make others intoxicated by forcing them to drink from the bowl of your furious anger, ¹⁰³ 

so you can look at their genitals. ¹⁰⁴ 

2:16 But you will become drunk ¹⁰⁵  with shame, not majesty. ¹⁰⁶ 

Now it is your turn to drink and expose your uncircumcised foreskin! ¹⁰⁷ 

The cup of wine in the Lord’s right hand ¹⁰⁸  is coming to you,

and disgrace will replace your majestic glory!

2:17 For you will pay in full for your violent acts against Lebanon; ¹⁰⁹ 

terrifying judgment will come upon you because of the way you destroyed the wild animals living there. ¹¹⁰ 

You have shed human blood

and committed violent acts against lands, cities, and those who live in them.

2:18 What good ¹¹¹  is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it? ¹¹² 

What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles? ¹¹³ 

Why would its creator place his trust in it ¹¹⁴ 

and make ¹¹⁵  such mute, worthless things?

2:19 The one who says to wood, ‘Wake up!’ is as good as dead ¹¹⁶  –

he who says ¹¹⁷  to speechless stone, ‘Awake!’

Can it give reliable guidance? ¹¹⁸ 

It is overlaid with gold and silver;

it has no life’s breath inside it.

2:20 But the Lord is in his majestic palace. ¹¹⁹ 

The whole earth is speechless in his presence!” ¹²⁰ 

3:1 This is a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet: ¹²¹ 

3:2 Lord, I have heard the report of what you did; ¹²² 

I am awed, ¹²³  Lord, by what you accomplished. ¹²⁴ 

In our time ¹²⁵  repeat those deeds; ¹²⁶ 

in our time reveal them again. ¹²⁷ 

But when you cause turmoil, remember to show us mercy! ¹²⁸ 

3:3 God comes ¹²⁹  from Teman, ¹³⁰ 

the sovereign ¹³¹  one from Mount Paran. ¹³²  Selah. ¹³³ 

His splendor covers the skies, ¹³⁴ 

his glory ¹³⁵  fills the earth.

3:4 He is as bright as lightning; ¹³⁶ 

a two-pronged lightning bolt flashes from his hand. ¹³⁷ 

This is the outward display of his power. ¹³⁸ 

3:5 Plague goes before him;

pestilence ¹³⁹  marches right behind him. ¹⁴⁰ 

3:6 He takes his battle position ¹⁴¹  and shakes ¹⁴²  the earth;

with a mere look he frightens ¹⁴³  the nations.

The ancient mountains disintegrate; ¹⁴⁴ 

the primeval hills are flattened.

He travels on the ancient roads. ¹⁴⁵ 

3:7 I see the tents of Cushan overwhelmed by trouble; ¹⁴⁶ 

the tent curtains of the land of Midian are shaking. ¹⁴⁷ 

3:8 Is the Lord mad at the rivers?

Are you angry with the rivers?

Are you enraged at the sea? ¹⁴⁸ 

Is this why ¹⁴⁹  you climb into your horse-drawn chariots, ¹⁵⁰ 

your victorious chariots? ¹⁵¹ 

3:9 Your bow is ready for action; ¹⁵² 

you commission your arrows. ¹⁵³  Selah.

You cause flash floods on the earth’s surface. ¹⁵⁴ 

3:10 When the mountains see you, they shake.

The torrential downpour sweeps through. ¹⁵⁵ 

The great deep ¹⁵⁶  shouts out;

it lifts its hands high. ¹⁵⁷ 

3:11 The sun and moon stand still in their courses; ¹⁵⁸ 

the flash of your arrows drives them away, ¹⁵⁹ 

the bright light of your lightning-quick spear. ¹⁶⁰ 

3:12 You furiously stomp on the earth,

you angrily trample down the nations.

3:13 You march out to deliver your people,

to deliver your special servant. ¹⁶¹ 

You strike the leader of the wicked nation, ¹⁶² 

laying him open from the lower body to the neck. ¹⁶³  Selah.

3:14 You pierce the heads of his warriors ¹⁶⁴  with a spear. ¹⁶⁵ 

They storm forward to scatter us; ¹⁶⁶ 

they shout with joy as if they were plundering the poor with no opposition. ¹⁶⁷ 

3:15 But you trample on the sea with your horses,

on the surging, raging waters. ¹⁶⁸ 

3:16 I listened and my stomach churned; ¹⁶⁹ 

the sound made my lips quiver.

My frame went limp, as if my bones were decaying, ¹⁷⁰ 

and I shook as I tried to walk. ¹⁷¹ 

I long ¹⁷²  for the day of distress

to come upon ¹⁷³  the people who attack us.

3:17 When ¹⁷⁴  the fig tree does not bud,

and there are no grapes on the vines;

when the olive trees do not produce, ¹⁷⁵ 

and the fields yield no crops; ¹⁷⁶ 

when the sheep disappear ¹⁷⁷  from the pen,

and there are no cattle in the stalls,

3:18 I will rejoice because of ¹⁷⁸  the Lord;

I will be happy because of the God who delivers me!

3:19 The sovereign Lord is my source of strength. ¹⁷⁹ 

He gives me the agility of a deer; ¹⁸⁰ 

he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. ¹⁸¹ 

(This prayer is for the song leader. It is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.) ¹⁸²