1 LA carga que vió Habacuc profeta.

2 ¿Hasta cuándo, oh Jehová, clamaré, y no oirás; y daré voces á ti á causa de la violencia, y no salvarás?

3 ¿Por qué me haces ver iniquidad, y haces que mire molestia, y saco y violencia delante de mí, habiendo además quien levante pleito y contienda?

4 Por lo cual la ley es debilitada, y el juicio no sale verdadero: por cuanto el impío asedia al justo, por eso sale torcido el juicio.

5 Mirad en las gentes, y ved, y maravillaos pasmosamente; porque obra será hecha en vuestros días, que aun cuando se os contare, no la creeréis.

6 Porque he aquí, yo levanto los Caldeos, gente amarga y presurosa, que camina por la anchura de la tierra para poseer las habitaciones ajenas.

7 Espantosa es y terrible: de ella misma saldrá su derecho y su grandeza.

8 Y serán sus caballos más ligeros que tigres, y más agudos que lobos de tarde; y sus jinetes se multiplicarán: vendrán de lejos sus caballeros, y volarán como águilas que se apresuran á la comida.

9 Toda ella vendrá á la presa: delante su sus caras viento solano; y juntará cautivos como arena.

10 Y escarnecerá de los reyes, y de los príncipes hará burla: reiráse de toda fortaleza, y amontonará polvo, y la tomará.

11 Luego mudará espíritu, y pasará adelante, y ofenderá atribuyendo esta su potencia á su dios.

12 ¿No eres tú desde el principio, oh Jehová, Dios mío, Santo mío? No moriremos. Oh Jehová, para juicio lo pusiste; y tú, oh Roca, lo fundaste para castigar.

13 Muy limpio eres de ojos para ver el mal, ni puedes ver el agravio: ¿por qué ves los menospreciadores, y callas cuando destruye el impío al más justo que él.

14 Y haces que sean los hombres como los peces de la mar, como reptiles que no tienen señor?

15 Sacará á todos con anzuelo, cogerálos con su red, y juntarálos en su aljerife: por lo cual se holgará y hará alegrías.

16 Por esto hará sacrificios á su red, y ofrecerá sahumerios á su aljerife: porque con ellos engordó su porción, y engrasó su comida.

17 ¿Vaciará por eso su red, ó tendrá piedad de matar gentes continuamente?

1 The word which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

2 How long, O Lord, will your ears be shut to my voice? I make an outcry to you about violent behaviour, but you do not send salvation.

3 Why do you make me see evil-doing, and why are my eyes fixed on wrong? for wasting and violent acts are before me: and there is fighting and bitter argument.

4 For this reason the law is feeble and decisions are not effected: for the upright man is circled round by evil-doers; because of which right is twisted.

5 See among the nations, and take note, and be full of wonder: for in your days I am doing a work in which you will have no belief, even if news of it is given to you.

6 For see, I am sending the Chaldaeans, that bitter and quick-moving nation; who go through the wide spaces of the earth to get for themselves living-places which are not theirs.

7 They are greatly to be feared: their right comes from themselves.

8 And their horses are quicker than leopards and their horsemen more cruel than evening wolves; they come from far away, like an eagle in flight rushing on its food.

9 They are coming all of them with force; the direction of their faces is forward, the number of their prisoners is like the sands of the sea.

10 He makes little of kings, rulers are a sport to him; all the strong places are to be laughed at; for he makes earthworks and takes them.

11 Then his purpose will be changed, over-stepping the limit; he will make his strength his god.

12 Are you not eternal, O Lord my God, my Holy One? for you there is no death. O Lord, he has been ordered by you for our punishment; and by you, O Rock, he has been marked out to put us right.

13 Before your holy eyes sin may not be seen, and you are unable to put up with wrong; why, then, are your eyes on the false? why do you say nothing when the evil-doer puts an end to one who is more upright than himself?

14 He has made men like the fishes of the sea, like the worms which have no ruler over them.

15 He takes them all up with his hook, he takes them in his net, getting them together in his fishing-net: for which cause he is glad and full of joy.

16 For this reason he makes an offering to his net, burning perfume to his fishing-net; because by them he gets much food and his meat is fat.

17 For this cause his net is ever open, and there is no end to his destruction of the nations.