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 days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.
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For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which 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.