The Book of Habakkuk, Chapter 1חבקוק 1

הַמַּשָׂא֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָזָ֔ה חֲבַקּ֖וּק הַנָּבִֽיא

The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

עַד אָ֧נָה יְהוָ֛ה שִׁוַּ֖עְתִּי וְלֹ֣א תִשְׁמָ֑ע אֶזְעַ֥ק אֵלֶ֛יךָ חָמָ֖ס וְלֹ֥א תוֹשִֽׁיעַ

O YHWH, how long shall I cry, and you will not hear! cry out to you violence, and you will not save!

לָ֣מָּה תַרְאֵ֤נִי אָ֨וֶן֙ וְעָמָ֣ל תַּבִּ֔יט וְשֹׁ֥ד וְחָמָ֖ס לְנֶגְדִּ֑י וַיְהִ֧י רִ֦יב וּמָד֖וֹן יִשָּֽׂא

Why dost you shew me iniquity, and cause to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence before me: and there are raise up strife and contention.

עַל כֵּן֙ תָּפ֣וּג תּוֹרָ֔ה וְלֹֽא יֵצֵ֥א לָנֶ֖צַח מִשְׁפָּ֑ט כִּ֤י רָשָׁע֙ מַכְתִּ֣יר אֶת הַצַּדִּ֔יק עַל כֵּ֛ן יֵצֵ֥א מִשְׁפָּ֖ט מְעֻקָּֽל

Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment does never go forth: for the wicked does compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

רְא֤וּ בַגּוֹיִם֙ וְֽהַבִּ֔יטוּ וְהִֽתַּמְּה֖וּ תְּמָ֑הוּ כִּי פֹ֨עַל֙ פֹּעֵ֣ל בִּֽימֵיכֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַאֲמִ֖ינוּ כִּ֥י יְסֻפָּֽר

Behold you among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for will work a work in your days, you will not believe, though it be told .

כִּֽי הִנְנִ֤י מֵקִים֙ אֶת הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים הַגּ֖וֹי הַמַּ֣ר וְהַנִּמְהָ֑ר הַֽהוֹלֵךְ֙ לְמֶרְחֲבֵי אֶ֔רֶץ לָרֶ֖שֶׁת מִשְׁכָּנ֥וֹת לֹּא לֽוֹ

For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces not theirs.

אָיֹ֥ם וְנוֹרָ֖א ה֑וּא מִמֶּ֕נּוּ מִשְׁפָּט֥וֹ וּשְׂאֵת֖וֹ יֵצֵֽא

They terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.

וְקַלּ֨וּ מִנְּמֵרִ֜ים סוּסָ֗יו וְחַדּוּ֙ מִזְּאֵ֣בֵי עֶ֔רֶב וּפָ֖שׁוּ פָּֽרָשָׁ֑יו וּפָֽרָשָׁיו֙ מֵרָח֣וֹק יָבֹ֔אוּ יָעֻ֕פוּ כְּנֶ֖שֶׁר חָ֥שׁ לֶאֱכֽוֹל

Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle hasteth to eat.

כֻּלֹּה֙ לְחָמָ֣ס יָב֔וֹא מְגַמַּ֥ת פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם קָדִ֑ימָה וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ף כַּח֖וֹל שֶֽׁבִי

They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.

וְהוּא֙ בַּמְּלָכִ֣ים יִתְקַלָּ֔ס וְרֹזְנִ֖ים מִשְׂחָ֣ק ל֑וֹ ה֚וּא לְכָל מִבְצָ֣ר יִשְׂחָ֔ק וַיִּצְבֹּ֥ר עָפָ֖ר וַֽיִּלְכְּדָֽהּ

And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn to them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.

אָ֣ז חָלַ֥ף ר֛וּחַ וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖ר וְאָשֵׁ֑ם ז֥וּ כֹח֖וֹ לֵאלֹהֽוֹ

Then shall mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, this his power to his god.

הֲל֧וֹא אַתָּ֣ה מִקֶּ֗דֶם יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהַ֛י קְדֹשִׁ֖י לֹ֣א נָמ֑וּת יְהוָה֙ לְמִשְׁפָּ֣ט שַׂמְתּ֔וֹ וְצ֖וּר לְהוֹכִ֥יחַ יְסַדְתּֽוֹ

you not from everlasting, O YHWH my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O YHWH, you have ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, you have established them for correction.

טְה֤וֹר עֵינַ֨יִם֙ מֵרְא֣וֹת רָ֔ע וְהַבִּ֥יט אֶל עָמָ֖ל לֹ֣א תוּכָ֑ל לָ֤מָּה תַבִּיט֙ בּֽוֹגְדִ֔ים תַּחֲרִ֕ישׁ בְּבַלַּ֥ע רָשָׁ֖ע צַדִּ֥יק מִמֶּֽנּוּ

of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest you upon them that deal treacherously, holdest your tongue when the wicked devoureth more righteous than he?

וַתַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֖ם כִּדְגֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם כְּרֶ֖מֶשׂ לֹא מֹשֵׁ֥ל בּֽוֹ

And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, no ruler over them?

כֻּלֹּה֙ בְּחַכָּ֣ה הֵֽעֲלָ֔ה יְגֹרֵ֣הוּ בְחֶרְמ֔וֹ וְיַאַסְפֵ֖הוּ בְּמִכְמַרְתּ֑וֹ עַל כֵּ֖ן יִשְׂמַ֥ח וְיָגִֽיל

They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad.

עַל כֵּן֙ יְזַבֵּ֣חַ לְחֶרְמ֔וֹ וִֽיקַטֵּ֖ר לְמִכְמַרְתּ֑וֹ כִּ֤י בָהֵ֨מָּה֙ שָׁמֵ֣ן חֶלְק֔וֹ וּמַאֲכָל֖וֹ בְּרִאָֽה

Therefore they sacrifice to their net, and burn incense to their drag; because by them their portion fat, and their meat plenteous.

הַ֥עַל כֵּ֖ן יָרִ֣יק חֶרְמ֑וֹ וְתָמִ֛יד לַהֲרֹ֥ג גּוֹיִ֖ם לֹ֥א יַחְמֽוֹל

Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?