1. The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.
2. O Lord, how long shall I cry,And You will not hear?Even cry out to You, “Violence!”And You will not save.
3. Why do You show me iniquity,And cause me to see trouble?For plundering and violence are before me;There is strife, and contention arises.
4. Therefore the law is powerless,And justice never goes forth.For the wicked surround the righteous;Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.
5. “Look among the nations and watch—Be utterly astounded!For I will work a work in your daysWhich you would not believe, though it were told you.
6. For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans,A bitter and hasty nationWhich marches 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. Their horses also are swifter than leopards,And more fierce than evening wolves.Their chargers charge ahead;Their cavalry comes from afar;They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.