Habakkuk’s First Complaint

1  הַמַּשָׂא֙ (The burden) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (which) חָזָ֔ה (saw) חֲבַקּ֖וּק (Habakkuk) הַנָּבִֽיא׃ (the prophet).

2  עַד־ (Until) אָ֧נָה (when) יְהוָ֛ה (O YHWH), שִׁוַּ֖עְתִּי (will I cry out),

וְלֹ֣א (and not) תִשְׁמָ֑ע (you will hear)!

אֶזְעַ֥ק (I cry out) אֵלֶ֛יךָ (to You) חָמָ֖ס (Violence),

וְלֹ֥א (and not) תוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃ (will you save)!

3  לָ֣מָּה (Why) תַרְאֵ֤נִי (do you cause me to me see) אָ֙וֶן֙ (iniquity),

וְעָמָ֣ל (trouble)? תַּבִּ֔יט (And to look upon)

וְשֹׁ֥ד (and destruction) וְחָמָ֖ס (and violence) לְנֶגְדִּ֑י (are before me)

וַיְהִ֧י (and there is) רִ֦יב (strife) וּמָד֖וֹן (and contention) יִשָּֽׂא׃ (rises up).

4  עַל־ (Over) כֵּן֙ (this) תָּפ֣וּג (is numb), תּוֹרָ֔ה (the law)

וְלֹֽא־ (and not) יֵצֵ֥א (does go forth). לָנֶ֖צַח (Forever) מִשְׁפָּ֑ט (justice)

כִּ֤י (for) רָשָׁע֙ (the wicked) מַכְתִּ֣יר (are surrounding) אֶת־ (-) הַצַּדִּ֔יק (the righteous);

עַל־ (upon) כֵּ֛ן (thus) יֵצֵ֥א (goes forth) מִשְׁפָּ֖ט (justice) מְעֻקָּֽל׃ (twisted).

Yahweh’s Answer

5  רְא֤וּ (Look) בַגּוֹיִם֙ (among the nations), וְֽהַבִּ֔יטוּ (and observe them),

וְהִֽתַּמְּה֖וּ (and be astonished) תְּמָ֑הוּ (yes astonished)!

כִּי־ (For) פֹ֙עַל֙ (a work) פֹּעֵ֣ל (I am doing) בִּֽימֵיכֶ֔ם (in your⁺ days),

לֹ֥א (that not) תַאֲמִ֖ינוּ (you⁺ would believe),

כִּ֥י (even if) יְסֻפָּֽר׃ (it were recounted).

6  כִּֽי־ (For), הִנְנִ֤י (behold—I) מֵקִים֙ (am raising up) אֶת־ (-) הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים (the Chaldeans),

הַגּ֖וֹי (that nation), הַמַּ֣ר (bitter) וְהַנִּמְהָ֑ר (and hasty)

הַֽהוֹלֵךְ֙ (marching) לְמֶרְחֲבֵי־ (through the breadth) אֶ֔רֶץ (of the earth),

לָרֶ֖שֶׁת (to possess) מִשְׁכָּנ֥וֹת (dwelling places) לֹּא־ (not) לֽוֹ׃ (unto them).

7  אָיֹ֥ם (Terrible) וְנוֹרָ֖א (and fearsome); ה֑וּא (he is)

מִמֶּ֕נּוּ (from him) מִשְׁפָּט֥וֹ (his justice) וּשְׂאֵת֖וֹ (and his dignity) יֵצֵֽא׃ (go forth).

8  וְקַלּ֨וּ (And are swifter) מִנְּמֵרִ֜ים (than leopards), סוּסָ֗יו (their horses)

וְחַדּוּ֙ (and fiercer) מִזְּאֵ֣בֵי (than wolves); עֶ֔רֶב (of the evening)

וּפָ֖שׁוּ (and spring up) פָּֽרָשָׁ֑יו (their horsemen)

וּפָֽרָשָׁיו֙ (and their horsemen) מֵרָח֣וֹק (from afar); יָבֹ֔אוּ (comes)

יָעֻ֕פוּ (they fly) כְּנֶ֖שֶׁר (like the eagle)

חָ֥שׁ (hurrying) לֶאֱכֽוֹל׃ (to devour).

9  כֻּלֹּה֙ (They all) לְחָמָ֣ס (for violence). יָב֔וֹא (Come)

מְגַמַּ֥ת (the full force) פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם (of their faces) קָדִ֑ימָה (is the east wind),

וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ף (and they gather) כַּח֖וֹל (like the sand) שֶֽׁבִי׃ (captives).

10  וְהוּא֙ (And he) בַּמְּלָכִ֣ים (the kings), יִתְקַלָּ֔ס (mocks)

וְרֹזְנִ֖ים (and princes) מִשְׂחָ֣ק (are an object of scorn) ל֑וֹ (for him)

ה֚וּא (he) לְכָל־ (at every) מִבְצָ֣ר (fortification); יִשְׂחָ֔ק (laughs)

וַיִּצְבֹּ֥ר (and heaps up) עָפָ֖ר (earth), וַֽיִּלְכְּדָֽהּ׃ (and seizes it).

11  אָ֣ז (Then) חָלַ֥ף (he sweeps through), ר֛וּחַ (like the wind)

וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖ר (and passes on),

וְאָשֵׁ֑ם (he is guilty), ז֥וּ (this one)

כֹח֖וֹ (his power) לֵאלֹהֽוֹ׃ (is unto his god).

Habakkuk’s Second Complaint
(Psalm 11:1–7)

12  הֲל֧וֹא (Are not) אַתָּ֣ה (You the One) מִקֶּ֗דֶם (from everlasting),

יְהוָ֧ה (O YHWH) אֱלֹהַ֛י (my God), קְדֹשִׁ֖י (my Holy One)?

לֹ֣א (Not) נָמ֑וּת (will we die).

יְהוָה֙ (O YHWH) לְמִשְׁפָּ֣ט (for judgment);

שַׂמְתּ֔וֹ (You have appointed them)

וְצ֖וּר (and O Rock), לְהוֹכִ֥יחַ (for reproof)

יְסַדְתּֽוֹ׃ (You have established them).

13  טְה֤וֹר (Purer) עֵינַ֙יִם֙ (of eyes) מֵרְא֣וֹת (than to behold) רָ֔ע (evil),

וְהַבִּ֥יט (and to look) אֶל־ (on) עָמָ֖ל (wickedness); לֹ֣א (not) תוּכָ֑ל (are You able)

לָ֤מָּה (Why) תַבִּיט֙ (do You look on) בּֽוֹגְדִ֔ים (those acting treacherously),

תַּחֲרִ֕ישׁ (and remain quiet)

בְּבַלַּ֥ע (when is devouring) רָשָׁ֖ע (the wicked)

צַדִּ֥יק (one more righteous) מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (than he).

14  וַתַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה (And You make) אָדָ֖ם (mankind) כִּדְגֵ֣י (like the fish) הַיָּ֑ם (of the sea),

כְּרֶ֖מֶשׂ (like creeping things), לֹא־ (without) מֹשֵׁ֥ל (one ruling) בּֽוֹ׃ (over them).

15  כֻּלֹּה֙ (Each) בְּחַכָּ֣ה (with a hook), הֵֽעֲלָ֔ה (he brings up)

יְגֹרֵ֣הוּ (he catches him) בְחֶרְמ֔וֹ (in his net),

וְיַאַסְפֵ֖הוּ (and gathers him) בְּמִכְמַרְתּ֑וֹ (in his dragnet);

עַל־ (upon) כֵּ֖ן (thus) יִשְׂמַ֥ח (he is glad) וְיָגִֽיל׃ (and rejoices).

16  עַל־ (For) כֵּן֙ (thus) יְזַבֵּ֣חַ (he sacrifices) לְחֶרְמ֔וֹ (to his net),

וִֽיקַטֵּ֖ר (and burns incense) לְמִכְמַרְתּ֑וֹ (to his dragnet);

כִּ֤י (because) בָהֵ֙מָּה֙ (by them) שָׁמֵ֣ן (rich is), חֶלְק֔וֹ (his portion)

וּמַאֲכָל֖וֹ (and his food) בְּרִאָֽה׃ (fat).

17  הַ֥עַל (Upon) כֵּ֖ן (thus) יָרִ֣יק (he will empty) חֶרְמ֑וֹ (his net),

וְתָמִ֛יד (and continue) לַהֲרֹ֥ג (to slay) גּוֹיִ֖ם (nations)? לֹ֥א (Without) יַחְמֽוֹל׃ס (having mercy).