1 The burden that Habakkuk, the prophet, saw. (The vision that the prophet Habakkuk saw.)
2 How long, Lord, shall I cry, and thou shalt not hear? I suffering violence shall cry on high to thee, and thou shalt not save? (How long, Lord, shall I cry, and thou shalt not hear me? I suffering violence shall cry aloud to thee, and shalt thou not save me?)
3 Why showedest thou to me wickedness and travail, for to see prey and unrightwiseness against me? Why beholdest thou despisers, and art still, the while the unpious man defouleth a right-fuller than himself? And thou shalt make men as fishes of the sea, and as creeping things not having a leader; and doom is made, and against-saying is more mighty. (Why hast thou shown me wickedness and struggle, in order to see robbery and unrighteousness done against me? Why beholdest thou despisers, and art silent, while the wicked defile someone more upright than themselves? Shalt thou make people like the fish of the sea, and like the creeping things that do not have a leader? yea, judgement is made, or justice is given, but saying against, or contention, is more mighty, or more powerful.)
4 For this thing law is broken, and doom cometh not till to the end; for the unpious man hath might against the just, therefore wayward doom shall go out. (And so because of this, the law is broken, and judgement, or justice, cometh not unto its proper end; for the wicked have might, or power, against the just, or the righteous, and so perverted justice, or warped judgement, shall go forth.)
5 Behold ye in heathen men, and see ye, and wonder ye, and greatly dread ye; for a work is done in your days, which no man shall believe, when it shall be told. (Behold ye the heathen, and see ye, and wonder ye, and greatly fear ye; for a work is done in your days, which no one shall believe, when it shall be told to them.)
6 For lo! I shall raise Chaldees, a bitter folk and swift, going on the breadth of earth, that he wield tabernacles not his. (For lo! I shall raise up the Chaldeans, a swift and bitter nation, going upon the breadth of the earth, in order to take tents, or homes, not their own.)
7 It is horrible, and dreadful; the doom and the burden thereof shall go out of itself. (They be terrible, and fearful, that is, they instill terror, and fear; and law, and justice, or judgement, shall go out from them alone.)
8 His horses be lighter than leopards, and swifter than eventide wolves, and his horsemen shall be scattered abroad; for why his horsemen shall come from far, they shall fly as an eagle hasting to eat. (Their horses be lighter than leopards, and swifter than wolves in the night, and their horsemen shall be spread abroad everywhere; yea, their horsemen shall come from afar, and they shall fly like eagles hastening to eat.)
9 All (these) men shall come to prey, the faces of them is as a burning wind; and he shall gather as gravel (the) captivity, (All these men shall come for prey, their faces be like the burning wind; and they shall gather up captives like the sand,)
10 and he shall have victory of kings, and tyrants shall be of his scorning. He shall laugh on all stronghold, and shall bear together [an] heap of earth, and shall take it. (and they shall have victory over kings, and only scorn, or mocking, for any tyrant. They shall laugh at every stronghold, or every fortress, and shall bear together heaps of earth, and then shall take, or shall capture, them.)
11 Then the spirit [of him] shall be changed, and he shall pass forth, and fall down; this is the strength of him, of his god. (Then their spirit shall be changed, and they shall pass forth, and shall fall down/Then they shall pass forth like the changing wind, and shall fall down; for their own strength was their god.)
12 Whether thou art not from the beginning, thou, Lord my God, mine holy, and we shall not die? Lord, into doom thou hast set him, and thou groundedest him strong, that thou shouldest chastise. (Lord, art thou not God from the beginning? yea, my God, my Holy One, and so we shall not die. Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgement, and thou hast used them, O strong God, to chastise, or to discipline, us.)
13 Thine eyes be clean, see thou not evil, and thou shalt not be able to behold to wickedness. Why beholdest thou not on men doing wickedly, and thou art still, while the unpious man devoureth a more just man than himself? (Thine eyes be pure, thou seest no evil, and thou art not able to look upon wickedness. But why beholdest thou not upon those doing wickedly, and thou art silent, while the wicked devour those who be more just, or more righteous, than themselves?)
14 And thou shalt make men as fishes of the sea, and as a creeping thing not having a prince. (And shalt thou make people like the fish of the sea, and like the creeping things that do not have a leader?/And why makest thou people like the fish of the sea, and like the creeping things that do not have a leader?)
15 He shall lift up all in the hook; he drew it in his great net, and gathered into his net; on this thing he shall be glad, and make joy withoutforth. (For they lift up all the people by their hooks; they gather them into their great nets, and draw them along in their nets; and then they be happy, and rejoice, over this.)
16 Therefore he shall offer to his great net, and shall make sacrifice to his net; for in them his part is made fat, and his meat is chosen. (And they even make offerings to their great nets, and make sacrifices to their nets; for by them their portions be made fat, and their meats be chosen and tasty.)
17 Therefore for this thing he spreadeth abroad his great net, and evermore he ceaseth not for to slay folks. (And so for this they spread abroad their great nets, and they never cease to slaughter the nations.)