The prophetic book of Habakkuk
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Verse by verse, account of the book of Habakkuk.

Habakkuk: chapter 1

¹The burden of the vision given to Habakkuk. ²LORD, how long shall I cry and will you not hear? Violence is all around me and yet you do not save. ³Why do You show me this wickedness and trouble? Destruction and violence is all around me creating much strife and contention. ⁴Is the law powerless, since justice does not seem to go forth. For the wicked surround the righteous and perverted justice prevails.

⁵The LORD replied; Look among the other nations and be amassed, for I will do a work in your days that you will have to see to believe. ⁶I am raising up a new force, the Chaldean nation, to search out the whole earth and conquer and dwell in nations that are not theirs. ⁷A dreadful people, that do whatever their own judgment tells them to do. ⁸Their horses are very swift, swooping down like vultures, as they charge ahead seeking their prey. ⁹They come for violence, enjoying the raid, gathering up captives like sand. ¹⁰They give respect to no one, nether kings or princes. They find a way to break down every stronghold and to seize it. ¹¹Then comes the offense, for they ascribe their mighty power to their false gods.

¹²Habakkuk, then said to the LORD; You are the eternal God, the Holy One. We shall not surely die? For you have appointed them for judgment and our correction. ¹³Your eye is too pure to behold evil, nor can You look on wickedness, why then do You look on their treacherous dealings and hold Your tongue when the wicked devours the righteous. ¹⁴Why do You create men yet put no governor over them? ¹⁵Whereby the Chaldean simply gathered up men in their nets and then rejoice over their take. ¹⁶Therefore, they glorify their deceitful ways, for in them is their food made plentiful. ¹⁷How long shall they empty their nets and slay nations without pity?

Habakkuk: chapter 2

¹I, Habakkuk, will now stand and watch, awaiting His answer and what my reply will be when I am corrected.

²The LORD then answered and said; Write the vision on tablets and make it plain so that he who reads it may run. ³For the vision is for an appointed time, be aware of it because it will surely come to pass.

⁴Proud men trust in themselves alone but their souls are not upright, whereby the just live by faith. ⁵Through the use of wine he has become proud and commits his transgressions. Not staying at home but rather dreaming of enlarging his desires, only to find that they do not satisfy but rather lead to death. However, he gathers all nations and people to himself as in a heap. ⁶Will not even his captives taunt him saying; woe to you who increases through what is not yours, how long will he keep it? Even all of his many outstanding notes of credit won't help him. ⁷For suddenly his creditors will rise up, they shall oppress him and he shall become their booty. ⁸Because you have plundered many nations and people, shedding man's blood and have done violence in the land and the city, evil will come back to you and then you yourself will be plundered.

⁹Woe to the man who obtains wealth through evil gain for his household, thinking that he will live in comfort and be delivered from disaster. ¹⁰He set a shameful example for his household, disregarding many people and sinning against his very own soul. ¹¹For every stone and timber will cry out against him.

¹²Woe to him who builds a town through the shedding of blood or establishes a city through crime! ¹³Is it not appointed of the LORD that these nations weary themselves in their vain labors? ¹⁴For just as the waters cover the sea, the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD.

¹⁵Woe to him who assists in making his neighbor drunk, so they can look on his nakedness, taking advantage of him while shaming their own glory. ¹⁶They are filled with shame instead of glory, for they drink and freely expose themselves as uncircumcised men. The LORD's right hand will be turned against them and their glory shall be put to utter shame. ¹⁷For the violence done to the beauty of Israel shall cover them. Even the wild beasts shall plunder them and terrify them because of man's blood that they have shed and the violence of the land and its people. ¹⁸What profit is an idol, are they not just carved or molded images? Its maker teaches lies, telling all to trust in dumb idols.

¹⁹Woe to those who speak to these dumb idols. For they are but images that cannot speak, overlaid with silver and gold, having no life in them at all. ²⁰Yet the LORD is very much alive and in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silent before Him.

Habakkuk: chapter 3

¹   The prayer of the prophet Habakkuk, set to a Triumphal music.

²I have heard Your words and was afraid, let us receive Your work in the midst of the years and make it known, but in Your wrath also remember Your mercy. ³God came out of the wilderness along with His holy One. His glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of His praise. ⁴His brightness radiated all around with rays of light coming forth from His hand and there was a hiding of His strength. ⁵Plagues went before Him and lightning was at His feet. ⁶He stood and measured the earth and shook the nations. The mountains were shattered and the hills were leveled. For His ways are everlasting and His ways are of old.

⁷I saw the people of Cushan troubled and the land of Midian trembling. ⁸LORD what was Your anger against, the rivers or the sea? For You rode on horses, pulling Your chariot of salvation. ⁹Your bow was made ready and Your words were spoken over Your arrows. For You have carved rivers into the earth. ¹⁰Even the mountains trembled, the waters passed by and the deep raise its voice in worshiped to the LORD. ¹¹The sun and the moon stood still and at the brightness of Your arrows they went. ¹²You marched through the land in indignation, trampling the nations in Your anger. ¹³You went forth and have come for the salvation of Your anointed people Israel. Striking the house of the wicked, striping them from head to toe. ¹⁴You destroyed the wicked who came out against Israel with their own weapons and Israel's rejoicing was great. ¹⁵For Your horsemen walked across the sea on dry land. ¹⁶When I heard this, my body trembled and my lips quivered at Your voice. Rottenness entered into my bones, fearing that I might not rest in the day of trouble, when the enemy comes to the people and invades them with his troops.

¹⁷Though all around me may fail, (the fig and the olive shall fail and no food be in the field, neither any herds in the fields). ¹⁸Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will exult and joy in the God of my salvation. ¹⁹The LORD God is my strength, He will make my feet swift and sure-footed, to walk on high places.

NOTE: (This prayer / hymn was to be put to music with the below instructions included in this writing),

to the Chief Musician, using my stringed instruments.