1 The burden that Habakkuk, the prophet, 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?

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.

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.

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.

6 For lo! I shall raise Chaldees, a bitter folk and swift, going on the breadth of earth, that he wield tabernacles not his.

7 It is horrible, and dreadful; the doom and the burden thereof shall go out of itself.

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.

9 All these men shall come to or for prey, the faces of them is as a burning wind; and he shall gather as gravel the captivity,

10 and he shall have victory of kings, and tyrants shall be of his scorning. He shall laugh on all strength or stronghold, and shall bear together [an] heap of earth, and shall take it.

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.

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.

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?

14 And thou shalt make men as fishes of the sea, and as a creeping thing not having a prince.

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.

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.

17 Therefore for this thing he spread-eth abroad his great net, and ever-more he ceaseth not for to slay folks.