October 9

Habakkuk 1:1 — 3:19

Habakkuk

1 The pronouncement that Habakkuk the prophet visioned: 2 How long, O Jehovah, must I cry for help, and you do not hear? [How long] shall I call to you for aid from violence, and you do not save? 3 Why is it that you make me see what is hurtful, and you keep looking upon mere trouble? And [why] are despoiling and violence in front of me, and [why] does quarreling occur, and [why] is strife carried?

4 Therefore law grows numb, and justice never goes forth. Because the wicked one is surrounding the righteous one, for that reason justice goes forth crooked.

5 “See, YOU people, among the nations, and look on, and stare in amazement at one another. Be amazed; for there is an activity that one is carrying on in YOUR days, [which] YOU people will not believe although it is related. 6 For here I am raising up the Chaldeans, the nation bitter and impetuous, which is going to the wide-open places of earth in order to take possession of residences not belonging to it. 7 Frightful and fear-inspiring it is. From itself its own justice and its own dignity go forth. 8 And its horses have proved swifter than leopards, and they have proved fiercer than evening wolves. And its steeds have pawed the ground, and from far away its own steeds come. They fly like the eagle speeding to eat [something]. 9 In its entirety it comes for mere violence. The assembling of their faces is as [the] east wind, and it gathers up captives just like the sand. 10 And for its part, it jeers kings themselves, and high officials are something laughable to it. For its part, it laughs even at every fortified place, and it piles up dust and captures it. 11 At that time it will certainly move onward [like] wind and will pass through and will actually become guilty. This its power is due to its god.”

12 Are you not from long ago, O Jehovah? O my God, my Holy One, you do not die. O Jehovah, for a judgment you have set it; and, O Rock, for a reproving you have founded it.

13 You are too pure in eyes to see what is bad; and to look on trouble you are not able. Why is it that you look on those dealing treacherously, that you keep silent when someone wicked swallows up someone more righteous than he is? 14 And [why] do you make earthling man like the fishes of the sea, like creeping things over whom no one is ruling? 15 All these he has brought up with a mere fishhook; he drags them away in his dragnet, and he gathers them in his fishing net. That is why he rejoices and is joyful. 16 That is why he offers sacrifice to his dragnet and makes sacrificial smoke to his fishing net; for by them his portion is well oiled, and his food is healthful. 17 Is that why he will empty out his dragnet, and does he have to kill nations constantly, while he shows no compassion?

2 At my guard post I will keep standing, and I will keep myself stationed upon [the] bulwark; and I shall keep watch, to see what he will speak by me and what I shall reply at the reproof of me.

2 And Jehovah proceeded to answer me and to say: “Write down [the] vision, and set [it] out plainly upon tablets, in order that the one reading aloud from it may do so fluently. 3 For [the] vision is yet for the appointed time, and it keeps panting on to the end, and it will not tell a lie. Even if it should delay, keep in expectation of it; for it will without fail come true. It will not be late.

4 “Look! His soul has been swelled up; it has not been upright within him. But as for the righteous one, by his faithfulness he will keep living. 5 And, indeed, because the wine is dealing treacherously, an able-bodied man is self-assuming; and he will not reach his goal, he who has made his soul spacious just like Sheol, and who is like death and cannot be satisfied. And he keeps gathering to himself all the nations and collecting together to himself all the peoples. 6 Will not these very ones, all of them, lift up against him a proverbial saying and an alluding remark, insinuations at him? And one will say,

“‘Woe to him who is multiplying what is not his own—O how long!—and who is making debt heavy against himself! 7 Will not those claiming interest of you rise up suddenly, and those wake up who are violently shaking you, and you certainly become to them something to pillage? 8 Because you yourself despoiled many nations, all the remaining ones of [the] peoples will despoil you, because of the shedding of blood of mankind and the violence to [the] earth, [the] town and all those dwelling in it.

9 “‘Woe to the one that is making evil gain for his house, in order to set his nest on the height, so as to be delivered from the grasp of what is calamitous! 10 You have counseled something shameful to your house, the cutting off of many peoples; and your soul is sinning. 11 For out of [the] wall a stone itself will cry out plaintively, and from the woodwork a rafter itself will answer it.

12 “‘Woe to the one that is building a city by bloodshed, and that has solidly established a town by unrighteousness! 13 Look! Is it not from Jehovah of armies that peoples will toil on only for the fire, and that national groups will tire themselves out merely for nothing? 14 For the earth will be filled with the knowing of the glory of Jehovah as the waters themselves cover over [the] sea.

15 “‘Woe to the one giving his companions something to drink, attaching [to it] your rage and anger, in order to make [them] drunk, for the purpose of looking upon their parts of shame. 16 You will certainly be satiated with dishonor instead of glory. Drink also, you yourself, and be considered uncircumcised. The cup of the right hand of Jehovah will come around to you, and there will be disgrace upon your glory; 17 because the violence [done] to Lebanon is what will cover you, and the rapacity upon [the] beasts that terrifies them, because of the shedding of blood of mankind and the violence [done] to [the] earth, the town and all those dwelling in it. 18 Of what benefit has a carved image been, when the former of it has carved it, a molten statue, and an instructor in falsehood? when the former of its form has trusted in it, to the extent of making valueless gods that are speechless?

19 “‘Woe to the one saying to the piece of wood: “O do awake!” to a dumb stone: “O wake up! It itself will give instruction”! Look! It is sheathed in gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. 20 But Jehovah is in his holy temple. Keep silence before him, all the earth!’”

3 The prayer of Habakkuk the prophet in dirges:
      2 O Jehovah, I have heard the report about you. I have become afraid, O Jehovah, of your activity.
      In the midst of [the] years O bring it to life! In the midst of [the] years may you make it known. During the agitation, to show mercy may you remember.
      3 God himself proceeded to come from Teman, even a Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah.
      His dignity covered [the] heavens; and with his praise the earth became filled.
      4 As for [his] brightness, it got to be just like the light. He had two rays [issuing] out of his hand, and there the hiding of his strength was.
      5 Before him pestilence kept going, and burning fever would go forth at his feet.
      6 He stood still, that he might shake up [the] earth. He saw, and then caused nations to leap.
      And the eternal mountains got to be smashed; the indefinitely lasting hills bowed down. The walkings of long ago are his.
      7 Under what is hurtful I saw the tents of Cushan. The tent cloths of the land of Midian began to be agitated.
      8 Is it against the rivers, O Jehovah, is it against the rivers that your anger has become hot, or is your fury against the sea? For you went riding upon your horses; your chariots were salvation.
      9 In [its] nakedness your bow comes to be uncovered. The sworn oaths of [the] tribes are the thing said. Selah. With rivers you proceeded to split [the] earth.
      10 Mountains saw you; they got to be in severe pains. A thunderstorm of waters passed through. The watery deep gave forth its sound. On high its hands it lifted up.
      11 Sun—moon—stood still, in the lofty abode thereof. Like light your own arrows kept going. The lightning of your spear served for brightness.
      12 With denunciation you went marching [through] the earth. In anger you went threshing [the] nations.
      13 And you went forth for the salvation of your people, to save your anointed one. You broke to pieces the head one out of the house of the wicked one. There was a laying of the foundation bare, clear up to the neck. Selah.
      14 With his own rods you pierced [the] head of his warriors [when] they moved tempestuously to scatter me. Their high glee was as of those bent on devouring an afflicted one in a place of concealment.
      15 Through the sea you trod [with] your horses, [through] the heap of vast waters.
      16 I heard, and my belly began to be agitated; at the sound my lips quivered; rottenness began to enter into my bones; and in my situation I was agitated, that I should quietly wait for the day of distress, for [his] coming up to the people, [that] he may raid them.
      17 Although [the] fig tree itself may not blossom, and there may be no yield on the vines; the work of [the] olive tree may actually turn out a failure, and the terraces themselves may actually produce no food; [the] flock may actually be severed from [the] pen, and there may be no herd in the enclosures;
      18 Yet, as for me, I will exult in Jehovah himself; I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.
      19 Jehovah the Sovereign Lord is my vital energy; and he will make my feet like those of the hinds, and upon my high places he will cause me to tread.

To the director on my stringed instruments.