Habakkuk 1:12–2:5

HABAKKUK’S SECOND PRAYER

12 Are you not from eternity, Lord my God?aa

My Holy One,ab youG will not die.

Lord, you appointed them to execute judgment;

my Rock,ac you destined them to punish us.

13 Your eyesad are too pureae to look on evil,

and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.

So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous?af

Why are you silent

while oneA who is wicked swallows up

oneB who is more righteous than himself?

14 You have made mankind

like the fish of the sea,ag

like marine creatures that have no ruler.

15 The Chaldeans pull them all up with a hook,

catch them in their dragnet,ah

and gather them in their fishing net;

that is why they are glad and rejoice.

16 That is why they sacrifice to their dragnet

and burn incense to their fishing net,

for by these things their portion is rich

and their food plentiful.ai

17 Will they therefore empty their net and continually slaughter nations without mercy?

HABAKKUK WAITS FOR GOD’S RESPONSE

2 I will stand at my guard post

and station myself on the lookout tower.a

I will watch to see what he will say to meb

and what I shouldC reply about my complaint.

GOD’S SECOND ANSWER

2 The Lord answered me:

Write down this vision;c

clearly inscribe it on tablets

so one may easily read it.D

3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time;d

it testifies about the end and will not lie.

Though it delays, wait for it,

since it will certainly come and not be late.e

4 Look, his ego is inflated;E

he is without integrity.

But the righteous one will live by his faith.F,f

5 Moreover, wineG betrays;

an arrogant man is never at rest.H

He enlarges his appetite like Sheol,

and like Death he is never satisfied.g

He gathers all the nations to himself;h

he collects all the peoples for himself.