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Habakkuk

Questions why God allows evil and is reassured of God's justice. ... click to read full summary of this book.

Chapter 1

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The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

Habakkuk, a prophet, saw a message about God's judgment.

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

O GOD, for how much longer must I call out to you, and you won't listen? Why must I shout about my suffering, and still, you don't rescue me?

Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

Why do you show me wrongdoing and make me see trouble? Because destruction and violence are all around me, and there are people who create conflict and disagreement.

Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

So, the law isn't being enforced properly, and justice doesn't happen as it should. The bad people surround the good ones, which leads to unfair decisions.

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

Look at the people who don't follow God, and pay attention, be amazed: because I will do something incredible in your lifetime, that you won't believe, even if someone tells you about it.

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

"Indeed, I am raising up the Chaldeans, a harsh and quick-moving people. They will travel across the land, taking over places that do not belong to them."

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

They are very scary and frightening. Their decisions and importance come from within themselves.

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.

Their horses are faster than leopards and more aggressive than night wolves. Their riders will spread out and come from far away, just like an eagle quickly going to get food.

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

They will all come to cause harm. Their faces will be like the east wind blowing, and they will collect the captured people like sand on a beach.

And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.

They will mock the kings and make fun of the princes. They will laugh at all fortresses because they will gather up dirt and take it.

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

Then, his thoughts will shift, and he will cross a line, blaming his actions on his god.

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

Are you not eternal, Lord God, my holy one? We will not die. Lord, you have set them up for judgment, and mighty God, you have established them for correction.

Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

You have cleaner eyes than to see bad things. You cannot look at wrongdoing. So why do you watch those who act sneaky, and stay quiet when the evil person hurts someone more good than them?

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

And you make people like fish in the sea, like crawling creatures, who have no one to rule them?

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.

They catch them all using an angle, net, and drag. They're happy and excited about it.

Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.

So, they offer sacrifices to their fishing nets and burn incense to their dragons because these help them have lots of food and plenty of meat.

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

Should they then empty their nets and never stop killing nations?

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