1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

1 הַמַּשָּׂא֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָזָ֔ה חֲבַקּ֖וּק הַנָּבִֽיא׃

2 O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out to thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!

2 עַד־אָ֧נָה יְהוָ֛ה שִׁוַּ֖עְתִּי וְלֹ֣א תִשְׁמָ֑ע אֶזְעַ֥ק אֵלֶ֛יךָ חָמָ֖ס וְלֹ֥א תֹושִֽׁיעַ׃

3 Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for devastation and violence are before me: and there are that raise strife and contention.

3 לָ֣מָּה תַרְאֵ֤נִי אָ֙וֶן֙ וְעָמָ֣ל תַּבִּ֔יט וְשֹׁ֥ד וְחָמָ֖ס לְנֶגְדִּ֑י וַיְהִ֧י רִ֦יב וּמָדֹ֖ון יִשָּֽׂא׃

4 Therefore the law is slackened, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth encompass the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

4 עַל־כֵּן֙ תָּפ֣וּג תֹּורָ֔ה וְלֹֽא־יֵצֵ֥א לָנֶ֖צַח מִשְׁפָּ֑ט כִּ֤י רָשָׁע֙ מַכְתִּ֣יר אֶת־הַצַּדִּ֔יק עַל־כֵּ֛ן יֵצֵ֥א מִשְׁפָּ֖ט מְעֻקָּֽל׃

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

5 רְא֤וּ בַגֹּויִם֙ וְֽהַבִּ֔יטוּ וְהִֽתַּמְּה֖וּ תְּמָ֑הוּ כִּי־פֹ֙עַל֙ פֹּעֵ֣ל בִּֽימֵיכֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַאֲמִ֖ינוּ כִּ֥י יְסֻפָּֽר׃

6 For lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling-places that are not theirs.

6 כִּֽי־הִנְנִ֤י מֵקִים֙ אֶת־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים הַגֹּ֖וי הַמַּ֣ר וְהַנִּמְהָ֑ר הַֽהֹולֵךְ֙ לְמֶרְחֲבֵי־אֶ֔רֶץ לָרֶ֖שֶׁת מִשְׁכָּנֹ֥ות לֹּא־לֹֽו׃

7 They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed from themselves.

7 אָיֹ֥ם וְנֹורָ֖א ה֑וּא מִמֶּ֕נּוּ מִשְׁפָּטֹ֥ו וּשְׂאֵתֹ֖ו יֵצֵֽא׃

8 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 that hasteth to eat.

8 וְקַלּ֨וּ מִנְּמֵרִ֜ים סוּסָ֗יו וְחַדּוּ֙ מִזְּאֵ֣בֵי עֶ֔רֶב וּפָ֖שׁוּ פָּֽרָשָׁ֑יו וּפָֽרָשָׁיו֙ מֵרָחֹ֣וק יָבֹ֔אוּ יָעֻ֕פוּ כְּנֶ֖שֶׁר חָ֥שׁ לֶאֱכֹֽול׃

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

9 כֻּלֹּה֙ לְחָמָ֣ס יָבֹ֔וא מְגַמַּ֥ת פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם קָדִ֑ימָה וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ף כַּחֹ֖ול שֶֽׁבִי׃

10 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.

10 וְהוּא֙ בַּמְּלָכִ֣ים יִתְקַלָּ֔ס וְרֹזְנִ֖ים מִשְׂחָ֣ק לֹ֑ו ה֚וּא לְכָל־מִבְצָ֣ר יִשְׂחָ֔ק וַיִּצְבֹּ֥ר עָפָ֖ר וַֽיִּלְכְּדָֽהּ׃

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

11 אָ֣ז חָלַ֥ף ר֛וּחַ וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖ר וְאָשֵׁ֑ם ז֥וּ כֹחֹ֖ו לֵאלֹהֹֽו׃

12 Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.

12 הֲלֹ֧וא אַתָּ֣ה מִקֶּ֗דֶם יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהַ֛י קְדֹשִׁ֖י לֹ֣א נָמ֑וּת יְהוָה֙ לְמִשְׁפָּ֣ט שַׂמְתֹּ֔ו וְצ֖וּר לְהֹוכִ֥יחַ יְסַדְתֹּֽו׃

13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: why lookest thou on them that deal treacherously, and keepest silence when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

13 טְהֹ֤ור עֵינַ֙יִם֙ מֵרְאֹ֣ות רָ֔ע וְהַבִּ֥יט אֶל־עָמָ֖ל לֹ֣א תוּכָ֑ל לָ֤מָּה תַבִּיט֙ בֹּֽוגְדִ֔ים תַּחֲרִ֕ישׁ בְּבַלַּ֥ע רָשָׁ֖ע צַדִּ֥יק מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

14 And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping animals that have no ruler over them?

14 וַתַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֖ם כִּדְגֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם כְּרֶ֖מֶשׂ לֹא־מֹשֵׁ֥ל בֹּֽו׃

15 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.

15 כֻּלֹּה֙ בְּחַכָּ֣ה הֵֽעֲלָ֔ה יְגֹרֵ֣הוּ בְחֶרְמֹ֔ו וְיַאַסְפֵ֖הוּ בְּמִכְמַרְתֹּ֑ו עַל־כֵּ֖ן יִשְׂמַ֥ח וְיָגִֽיל׃

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

16 עַל־כֵּן֙ יְזַבֵּ֣חַ לְחֶרְמֹ֔ו וִֽיקַטֵּ֖ר לְמִכְמַרְתֹּ֑ו כִּ֤י בָהֵ֙מָּה֙ שָׁמֵ֣ן חֶלְקֹ֔ו וּמַאֲכָלֹ֖ו בְּרִאָֽה׃

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

17 הַ֥עַל כֵּ֖ן יָרִ֣יק חֶרְמֹ֑ו וְתָמִ֛יד לַהֲרֹ֥ג גֹּויִ֖ם לֹ֥א יַחְמֹֽול׃