Habakkuk’s First Complaint 1 UST I am Habakkuk the prophet. This is the message that Yahweh gave me in a vision. BSB BSB: This is the burden that Habakkuk the prophet received in a vision:
3 UST Why do you make me keep seeing people doing evil? Why do you not punish people who are doing what is wrong? I see people destroying things and acting violently, and there is fighting and quarreling everywhere. BSB BSB: Why do You make me see iniquity? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds.
4 UST No one obeys your instruction, and judges never decide cases fairly. Wicked people always defeat righteous people in the courts, so that no one ever gets justice.” BSB BSB: Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
The LORD’s Answer 5 UST Yahweh replied to me,“Look at the completely amazing thing happening among the other nations; you will be astounded, because I am doing something during this time that you would not believe even if someone told you about it. BSB BSB: “Look at the nations and observe—be utterly astounded! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you.
6 UST I am making the Chaldeans powerful; they are fierce and swift soldiers. They will march across the entire earth and conquer countries that do not belong to them. BSB BSB: For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans—that ruthless and impetuous nation which marches through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own.
7 UST They are terrifying people who do whatever they want and pay no attention to the laws of other countries. BSB BSB: They are dreaded and feared; from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty.
8 UST Their horses are faster than leopards and fiercer than wolves at night. Their horsemen gallop swiftly from distant places; they swoop down like eagles rushing to kill their prey. BSB BSB: Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead, and their cavalry comes from afar. They fly like a vulture, swooping down to devour.
9 UST They all advance with the purpose of acting violently. They advance like a desert wind, gathering prisoners as numerous as grains of sand. BSB BSB: All of them come bent on violence; their hordes advance like the east wind; they gather prisoners like sand.
10 UST They mock the kings and rulers of other countries and laugh at all the cities with high walls. They pile up dirt against those walls and climb up to capture those cities. BSB BSB: They scoff at kings and make rulers an object of scorn. They laugh at every fortress and build up siege ramps to seize it.
11 UST They rush past like the wind and move on. But they are very guilty, because they think that their own military power is their god.” BSB BSB: Then they sweep by like the wind and pass through. They are guilty; their own strength is their god.”
Habakkuk’s Second Complaint (Psalm 11:1–7)
12 UST Then I said,“Yahweh, you have always been God from ancient times. You are my Holy One; we will not die. You have appointed the Chaldeans to judge us and punish us. You are our Rock, and you have sent them to correct us. BSB BSB: Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. O LORD, You have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, You have established them for correction.
13 UST You are pure, and you cannot endure seeing evil, so why are you tolerating treacherous people? Why do you say nothing when wicked people destroy people who are more righteous than they are? BSB BSB: Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
14 UST You treat us like fish in the sea or like other sea creatures that have no one to rule over them. BSB BSB: You have made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler.
15 UST The soldiers of Chaldea treat us like fish; they pull us out with hooks or catch us in their nets, and they rejoice and celebrate. BSB BSB: The foe pulls all of them up with a hook; he catches them in his dragnet, and gathers them in his fishing net; so he rejoices gladly.
16 UST They worship the weapons with which they capture people and offer sacrifices to them and burn incense in front of them. They say,‘Those weapons have enabled us to become rich and eat expensive food.’ BSB BSB: Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnet and burns incense to his fishing net, for by these things his portion is sumptuous and his food is rich.
17 UST Will you allow them to keep conquering people? Will you allow them to keep destroying people of other nations without showing any mercy?” BSB BSB: Will he, therefore, empty his net and continue to slay nations without mercy?