Habakkuk 1:4-17

4Therefore the 1Law 2is ignored, And justice 3is never upheld. For the wicked 4surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out 5confused.

5“6Look among the nations! Watch! Be horrified! 7Be frightened speechless! For I am accomplishing 8a work in your days-- You would not believe it even if 9you were told!6For behold, I am 10raising up the Chaldeans, That 11grim and impetuous people Who march 12throughout the earth, To 13take possession of dwelling places that are not theirs.7They are terrifying and 14feared; Their 15justice and 16authority 17originate with themselves.8Their 18horses are faster than leopards, And quicker than 19wolves in the evening. Their 20horsemen charge along, Their 21horsemen come from afar; They fly like an 22eagle 23swooping down to devour.9All of them come for violence. 24Their horde of 25faces moves forward. They gather captives like sand.10They 26make fun of kings, And dignitaries are an object of laughter to them. They 27laugh at every fortress, Then 28heap up dirt and 29capture it.11Then they fly along like the 30wind and pass on. But they will be held 31guilty, They whose 32strength is their god.”

12Are You not from 33time everlasting, Lord, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, Lord, have 34appointed them to deliver judgment; And You, O 35Rock, have destined them to punish.13Your eyes are too 36pure to look at evil, And You cannot look at harm favorably. Why do You 37look favorably At those who deal 38treacherously? Why are You 39silent when the wicked 40swallow up Those more righteous than they?14Why have You made people like the fish of the sea, Like crawling things that have no ruler over them?15The Chaldeans 41bring all of them up with a hook, 42Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are joyful.16Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And 43burn incense to their fishing net, Because through 44these things their 45catch is 46large, And their food is 47plentiful.17Will they therefore empty their 48net, And continually 49slay nations without sparing?