¹ The word which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

² How long, O Lord, will your ears be shut to my voice? I make an outcry to you about violent behaviour, but you do not send salvation.

³ Why do you make me see evil-doing, and Why are my eyes fixed on wrong? for wasting and violent acts are before me: and there is fighting and bitter argument.

⁴ For this reason the law is feeble and decisions are not effected: for the upright man is circled round by evil-doers; because of which right is twisted.

⁵ See among the nations, and take note, and be full of wonder: for in your days I am doing a work in which you will have no belief, even if news of it is given to you.

⁶ For see, I am sending the Chaldaeans, that bitter and quick-moving nation; who go through the wide spaces of the earth to get for themselves living-places which are not theirs.

⁷ They are greatly to be feared: their right comes from themselves.

⁸ And their horses are quicker than leopards and their horsemen more cruel than evening wolves; they come from far away, like an eagle in flight rushing on its food.

⁹ They are coming all of them with force; the direction of their faces is forward, the number of their prisoners is like the sands of the sea.

¹⁰ He makes little of kings, rulers are a sport to him; all the strong places are to be laughed at; for he makes earthworks and takes them.

¹¹ Then his purpose will be changed, over-stepping the limit; he will make his strength his god.

¹² Are you not eternal, O Lord my God, my Holy One? for you there is no death. O Lord, he has been ordered by you for our punishment; and by you, O Rock, he has been marked out to put us right.

¹³ Before your holy eyes sin may not be seen, and you are unable to put up with wrong; why, then, are your eyes on the false? why do you say nothing when the evil-doer puts an end to one who is more upright than himself?

¹⁴ He has made men like the fishes of the sea, like the worms which have no ruler over them.

¹⁵ He takes them all up with his hook, he takes them in his net, getting them together in his fishing-net: for which cause he is glad and full of joy.

¹⁶ For this reason he makes an offering to his net, burning perfume to his fishing-net; because by them he gets much food and his meat is fat.

¹⁷ For this cause his net is ever open, and there is no end to his destruction of the nations.