New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures Reference Bible

Habakkuk

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.