Revised Literal Translation

Habakkuk 1

1The burdenהַמַּשָּׂא֙ha.ma.Sa'H4853which Habakkukחֲבַקּ֖וּקcha.va.KukH2265the prophetהַנָּבִֽיא׃ha.na.Vi'H5030did seeחָזָ֔הcha.ZahH2372.

2O Yhwhיְהוָ֛הYah.wehH3068,how long shall I cryשִׁוַּ֖עְתִּיshi.Va'.tiH7768,and thou wilt not hearתִשְׁמָ֑עtish.Ma'H8085! evencry outאֶזְעַ֥ק'ez.'AkH2199unto thee ofviolenceחָמָ֖סcha.MasH2555,and thou wilt not saveתוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃to.Shi.a'H3467!

3Why dost thou shewתַרְאֵ֤נִיtar.'E.niH7200me iniquityאָ֙וֶן֙'a.venH205, and cause meto beholdתַּבִּ֔יטta.BitH5027grievanceוְעָמָ֣לve.'a.MalH5999?for spoilingוְשֹׁ֥דve.ShodH7701and violenceוְחָמָ֖סve.cha.MasH2555are before me: and there are thatraise upיִשָּֽׂא׃yi.Sa'H5375strifeרִ֦יבrivH7379and contentionוּמָד֖וֹןu.ma.DonH4066.

4Therefore the lawתּוֹרָ֔הto.RahH8451is slackedתָּפ֣וּגta.FugH6313,and judgmentמִשְׁפָּ֑טmish.PatH4941doth neverלָנֶ֖צַחla.Ne.tzachH5331go forthיֵצֵ֥אye.Tze'H3318:for the wickedרָשָׁע֙ra.Sha'H7563doth compassמַכְתִּ֣ירmakh.TirH3803about the righteousהַצַּדִּ֔יקha.tza.DikH6662;therefore wrongמְעֻקָּֽל׃me.'u.KalH6127judgmentמִשְׁפָּ֖טmish.PatH4941proceedethיֵצֵ֥אye.Tze'H3318.

5Beholdרְא֤וּre.'UH7200ye among the heathenבַגּוֹיִם֙va.go.YimH1471,and regardוְֽהַבִּ֔יטוּve.ha.Bi.tuH5027,and wonderוְהִֽתַּמְּה֖וּve.hit.ta.me.HuH8539marvellouslyתְּמָ֑הוּte.Ma.huH8539: for Iwill workפֹּעֵ֣לpo.'ElH6466a workפֹ֙עַל֙fo.'alH6467in your daysבִּֽימֵיכֶ֔םbi.mei.KhemH3117, whichye will not believeתַאֲמִ֖ינוּta.'a.Mi.nuH539,though it be toldיְסֻפָּֽר׃ye.su.ParH5608you.

6For, lo, I raise upמֵקִים֙me.KimH6965the Chaldeansהַכַּשְׂדִּ֔יםha.kas.DimH3778, thatbitterהַמַּ֣רha.MarH4751and hastyוְהַנִּמְהָ֑רve.ha.nim.HarH4116nationהַגּ֖וֹיha.GoyH1471,which shall marchהַֽהוֹלֵךְ֙ha.ho.leKhH1980through the breadthלְמֶרְחֲבֵי־le.mer.cha.vei-H4800of the landאֶ֔רֶץ'E.retzH776,to possessלָרֶ֖שֶׁתla.Re.shetH3423the dwellingplacesמִשְׁכָּנ֥וֹתmish.ka.NotH4908that are not theirs.

7They areterribleאָיֹ֥ם'a.YomH366and dreadfulוְנוֹרָ֖אve.no.Ra'H3372:their judgmentמִשְׁפָּט֥וֹmish.pa.ToH4941and their dignityוּשְׂאֵת֖וֹu.se.'e.ToH7613shall proceedיֵצֵֽא׃ye.Tze'H3318of themselves.

8Their horsesסוּסָ֗יוsu.SavH5483also are swifterוְקַלּ֨וּve.ka.LuH7043than the leopardsמִנְּמֵרִ֜יםmi.ne.me.RimH5246,and are more fierceוְחַדּוּ֙ve.cha.DuH2300than the eveningעֶ֔רֶב'E.revH6153wolvesמִזְּאֵ֣בֵיmi.ze.'E.veiH2061:and their horsemenפָּֽרָשָׁ֑יוpa.ra.ShavH6571shall spreadוּפָ֖שׁוּu.Fa.shuH6335themselves, and their horsemenוּפָֽרָשָׁיו֙u.fa.ra.ShavH6571shall comeיָבֹ֔אוּya.Vo.'uH935from farמֵרָח֣וֹקme.ra.ChokH7350;they shall flyיָעֻ֕פוּya.'U.fuH5774as the eagleכְּנֶ֖שֶׁרke.Ne.sherH5404thathastethחָ֥שׁchashH2363to eatלֶאֱכֽוֹל׃le.'e.KholH398.

9They shall comeיָב֔וֹאya.Vo'H935all for violenceלְחָמָ֣סle.cha.MasH2555:their facesפְּנֵיהֶ֖םpe.nei.HemH6440shall sup upמְגַמַּ֥תme.ga.MatH4041asthe east windקָדִ֑ימָהka.Di.mahH6921,and they shall gatherוַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ףvai.ye.'e.SofH622the captivityשֶֽׁבִי׃She.viH7628as the sandכַּח֖וֹלka.CholH2344.

10And they shall scoffיִתְקַלָּ֔סyit.ka.LasH7046at the kingsבַּמְּלָכִ֣יםba.me.la.KhimH4428,and the princesוְרֹזְנִ֖יםve.ro.ze.NimH7336shall be a scornמִשְׂחָ֣קmis.ChakH4890unto them: they shall derideיִשְׂחָ֔קyis.ChakH7832every strong holdמִבְצָ֣רmiv.TzarH4013;for they shall heapוַיִּצְבֹּ֥רvai.yitz.BorH6651dustעָפָ֖ר'a.FarH6083,and takeוַֽיִּלְכְּדָֽהּ׃Vai.yil.ke.DahH3920it.

11Then shall hismindר֛וּחַRu.achH7307changeחָלַ֥ףcha.LafH2498,and he shall pass overוַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖רvai.ya.'a.VorH5674,and offendוְאָשֵׁ֑םve.'a.ShemH816, imputingthisז֥וּzuH2098his powerכֹח֖וֹkho.ChoH3581unto his godלֵאלֹהֽוֹ׃le.lo.HoH433.

12Artthou not from everlastingמִקֶּ֗דֶםmi.Ke.demH6924,O Yhwhיְהוָ֧הYah.wehH3068my Godאֱלֹהַ֛י'e.lo.HaiH430,mine Holy Oneקְדֹשִׁ֖יke.do.ShiH6918?we shall not dieנָמ֑וּתna.MutH4191.O Yhwhיְהוָה֙Yah.wehH3068,thou hast ordainedשַׂמְתּ֔וֹsam.ToH7760them for judgmentלְמִשְׁפָּ֣טle.mish.PatH4941;and, O mighty Godוְצ֖וּרve.TzurH6697,thou hast establishedיְסַדְתּֽוֹ׃ye.sad.ToH3245them for correctionלְהוֹכִ֥יחַle.ho.Khi.achH3198.

13Thou artof purerH2889eyesעֵינַ֙יִם֙'ei.Na.yimH5869than to beholdמֵרְא֣וֹתme.re.'otH7200evilרָ֔עRa'H7451,and canstתוּכָ֑לtu.KhalH3201not lookוְהַבִּ֥יטve.ha.BitH5027on iniquityעָמָ֖ל'a.MalH5999:wherefore lookestתַבִּיט֙ta.BitH5027thou upon them that deal treacherouslyבּֽוֹגְדִ֔יםbog.DimH898, andholdest thy tongueתַּחֲרִ֕ישׁta.cha.RishH2790when the wickedרָשָׁ֖עra.Sha'H7563devourethבְּבַלַּ֥עbe.va.La'H1104the man that ismore righteousצַדִּ֥יקtza.DikH6662than he?

14And makestוַתַּעֲשֶׂ֥הva.ta.'a.SehH6213menאָדָ֖ם'a.DamH120as the fishesכִּדְגֵ֣יkid.GeiH1709of the seaהַיָּ֑םhai.YamH3220,as the creeping thingsכְּרֶ֖מֶשׂke.Re.mesH7431, that haveno rulerמֹשֵׁ֥לmo.ShelH4910over them?

15They take upהֵֽעֲלָ֔הhe.'a.LahH5927all of them with the angleבְּחַכָּ֣הbe.cha.KahH2443,they catchיְגֹרֵ֣הוּye.go.Re.huH1641them in their netבְחֶרְמ֔וֹve.cher.MoH2764,and gatherוְיַאַסְפֵ֖הוּve.ya.'as.Fe.huH622them in their dragבְּמִכְמַרְתּ֑וֹbe.mikh.mar.ToH4365:therefore they rejoiceיִשְׂמַ֥חyis.MachH8055and are gladוְיָגִֽיל׃ve.ya.GilH1523.

16Therefore they sacrificeיְזַבֵּ֣חַye.za.Be.achH2076unto their netלְחֶרְמ֔וֹle.cher.MoH2764,and burn incenseוִֽיקַטֵּ֖רvi.ka.TerH6999unto their dragלְמִכְמַרְתּ֑וֹle.mikh.mar.ToH4365;because by themH1992their portionחֶלְק֔וֹchel.KoH2506isfatשָׁמֵ֣ןsha.MenH8082,and their meatוּמַאֲכָל֖וֹu.ma.'a.kha.LoH3978plenteousבְּרִאָֽה׃be.ri.'AhH1277.

17Shall they therefore emptyיָרִ֣יקya.RikH7324their netחֶרְמ֑וֹcher.MoH2764,and not spareיַחְמֽוֹל׃ סyach.MolH2550continuallyוְתָמִ֛ידve.ta.MidH8548to slayלַהֲרֹ֥גla.ha.RogH2026the nationsגּוֹיִ֖םgo.YimH1471?

Commentaries on Habakkuk 1