Habakkuk
From the Greek Septuagint
About
Habakkuk the record of the prophecy given to the Prophet Habakkuk.
It foretells JeruSalem’s destruction by Babylon, written sometime around the middle 7th Century BC.
Source
We’ve translated it from Greek Septuagint manuscripts dating from the 300s AD; that makes our sources about 600 years older than the traditional Hebrew text used by other Bibles. Learn why.
Translation
- Known and suspected fake words and phrases commonly included in popular translations are
[greyed-out], followed by a link to our spurious texts article. - Alternative translations and editor notes appear [like this].
- Text that’s missing from our source manuscript, but filled in from another source, is marked with [[double brackets]].
- Prophetic books often include not two, but three voices: That of the prophet, the messenger (often called the Lord), and God Himself. Most other translations do not understand this, causing confusion. Learn more.
- Where text appears to be poetry (or was translated from poetry), we’ve tried to recreate a poetic cadence. Learn more.
- All circumlocutions for God’s Name appear as '[Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”'. You can change this to '[Yahweh]' or “Lord” in your settings.
- Many names use CamelCase to show where they contain references to different Gods, e.g. IsaiAh, JeruSalem, etc. Learn why. You can toggle these on or off in your settings.
- The original texts had no chapter or verse numbers, paragraph breaks, line breaks, margins, punctuation, or capital letters. These are all added for clarity, but be aware that they can sometimes subtly alter the meaning. Learn more.
- Words [inserted] by the translator for clarity are always in [brackets]. These are not part of the original source text. Learn more.
1
1These are the things that Prophet Habakkuk saw:
2‘How long, O Lord, must I cry out
As You don’t listen [to me]?
How long should I yell to You over wrong
As You don’t bring us salvation?
3‘Why have You shown toil and trouble to me,
As you look upon misery and irreverence?
Right opposite me, there’s judging going on…
But it’s the judge that carries away!
4‘Because of this, the Law has been shaken,
And in the end, there’s no justice;
For the godless are tyrannizing the righteous,
And the justice they receive is perverted!’
5[Then the Lord replied]:
‘Look, O you who is speaking such words…
Gaze and wonder at wonders,
And thereafter, just pass away!
For I’ll do a work in your day,
Which you won’t believe and none can describe!
6'{Look!} I’ll awaken the Chaldean people,
And they’ll travel across the breadth of the earth
To inherit tents not their own.
7‘[Their king] is known to be fearsome,
And he [creates] his own kind of justice,
For his only concern is himself.
8‘His horses leap higher than leopards,
And [their teeth] are like those of Arabian wolves.
‘His horsemen will make great advances…
They’ll spread [their wings] out like eagles
That are eager for something to eat.
9‘Then, upon those who don’t show him respect,
He will bring a consumption…
It’ll come upon all who oppose him,
And he’ll gather captives like sand.
10‘Then among all their kings, he will revel…
Their sovereignty will be things he plays with,
And he will mock every fortress…
He’ll build siege mounds around them and win!
11‘But thereafter, his spirit will change;
For, he will repent and then say,
This power has come from my God!’
12[And Habakkuk replied:]
‘O [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”, my God and most Holy One;
You’re from the beginning!
But, although there’s no reason for us to die,
You’ve ordered up justice…
For discipline and correction, You’ve shaped us.
13‘If Your eyes are too pure to look at the bad,
And You’ll not view any evil;
Why do You endure those who hate You?
‘And why do You remain silent and watch
As the impious are consuming the righteous?
14Will You let us be like the fish in the sea
Or like things that crawl [on the ground]
Where no one is taking the lead?
15‘You’ve let [Babylon’s king] catch destruction…
Yes, he pulled it up with a hook
And lifted it up with his net…
Then he brought it all in with his dragnet,
And this is why he’s so joyful.
16‘So to his dragnet, he’ll offer sacrifices,
And to it, he will also burn incense.
For by it, he’s fattened his portion,
And provided himself the choicest of food.
17So he’ll keep on casting his net
To destroy many nations, not spare them!’
2
1‘[Now I’ve told You] that during my watch,
I’ll be the one who stands guard…
I’ll climb on the rocks and observe,
Then listen to all that You’ll tell me,
So I’ll know what I must say in reply
When I’m receiving correction.’
2Then the [messenger of the] Lord told me this… He clearly said:
‘Now, you must write down this vision
To elevate those who’ll read it.
3It’s a vision of a time in the future…
It’s what will happen in the time of the end.
‘Be patient if it seems to be late;
For it’ll surely arrive…
No way will its coming be tardy.
4‘To the depths of My core, I don’t find favor
In one who would draw himself back.
Yet, by their faith, the righteous will live!
5‘But, those who are arrogant and filled with hate,
And any man who is a braggart
Will receive no [blessings] at all.
‘Now he’s widening his soul like the grave,
And like death, he never gets filled.
6So, if he should assemble all nations
And gather their peoples [under his rule];
Wouldn’t they say this against him…
Wouldn’t they speak this riddle and say:
‘Woe to the one who takes what’s not his…
How long [can he stand] all the pressure?
7For suddenly, there’ll come those who’ll bite him…
Yes, those plotting against him will awaken
And then they’ll saw him in two!
8‘For, many nations, he’s ravaged.
But those who remain, will soon ravage him
Because of all the blood that he’s shed,
And the things that he did to their cities and lands…
What he did to all those who lived there.’
9‘O you who have desired all their wealth;
These same things will come upon you and your house…
Yes, on you who have arranged your ‘nest’ in the heights,
And whose hands have brought evil [to others].
10‘For, you’ve shamed your own house!
Since, throughout your life, you’ve sinned,
And you’ve ended [the lives] of [many great] men.
11‘Therefore, from your stone walls, I’ll yell,
And the beetles in the woods will repeat it:
12‘Woe to those who build their cities on blood,
And [grow] their countries by doing what’s wrong!’
13‘Yet, it’s by [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” the Almighty
That so many have been tested by fire,
And the nations have proven faint-hearted!
14‘So, like the waters that cover the seas,
The earth will soon become filled
With the knowledge about all His glory.
15‘But, you’ve forced your neighbors to drink
Something intoxicating and cloudy
In order to gaze on their private parts.
16‘So drink deeply to the glory of your dishonor
And get extremely excited!
For thereafter, you’ll be completely surrounded
Within the cup in [Jehovah’s][Yahweh’s]“Lord’s” right hand,
Where your glory will meet with dishonor.
17‘By Lebanon’s irreverence, you’ll also be covered,
And the misery of wild beasts will terrify you,
Because of the blood of men that you’ve shed,
And the badness within [your] cities and lands,
Along with the [evil] of your people.
18‘So, what good are the idols that they’ve carved,
Or the molded castings they’ve shaped…
The false things that they can see with their eyes?
For your people rely on things that they’ve shaped…
On idols that they’ve made, which can’t speak!
19‘So, woe to those who say to the wood [idols]:
‘[It’s time for you to] awaken and rise!’
‘And who say to things made of stone:
‘Become great!’
‘For, they’re only things you can look at…
Things that you’ve hammered from silver and gold,
Which are still unable to breathe.
20‘But, in His Temple, [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” is [alive]!
So in every land, they should bow before Him!’
3
1The prayer of Prophet Habakkuk, in a song:
2‘O Lord,
‘I heard Your report and I was afraid.
‘O [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”,
‘I thought of your works and I trembled.
‘You stand between the two cherubs,
And in coming years, all will know You…
Yes, when that time arrives, You’ll be seen.
‘And when disturbance comes into my life,
You’ll think of [me] and show mercy.
3For, God will come out of TeMan…
Yes, from the shadow of Mount Paran,
The Most Holy one will arrive.’
PAUSE
‘His virtues cover the skies
And His praises fill the [whole] earth…
4Like all kinds of light is His brightness.
‘In His hands, He carries a trumpet;
And by His might, He sends us His love.
5‘So, from His face, a word will go forth,
Which will travel from there to the plains;
6And where His feet stand, the [whole] earth will shake.
‘When He looks upon them, the nations dissolve…
By [His] might, the mountains will break
And the hills of the ages will melt.
7‘On the tents of Ethiopian peoples,
I saw distress about to arrive,
And the tents of Media were also disturbed.
8‘Were You provoked by their rivers, O Lord…
Did their rivers make You so angry
That against their sea, You took action?
‘O you who’re arriving on horses;
As you ride, are you bringing salvation?
9No, [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” has told you to stretch out…
Against their tents, you must stretch tight your bows!’
PAUSE
‘You’ll divide up their lands by their rivers,
10And when they see you, they’ll start having birth pangs;
For they’ll know that the rivers will be their new borders.
‘Then the abyss will shout to the heights
When it sees that you are arriving.
11For the sun will not rise in the sky,
And the moon will fail and stand still.
But, by the flash of your arrows
And sparks from your weapons, they’ll move.
12‘When [God] threatens, He’ll leave just few in their lands;
For in His rage, He wipes nations away.
13But to His people, He’s bringing salvation,
And He will save His anointed.
‘But to the heads of the lawless, He will send death…
First, He’ll put chains on their necks,
Which will shake and astonish the mighty,
And then He will chop off their heads!’
PAUSE
14‘Yes, He’ll split the heads of the mighty,
After He makes them all shiver.
So then they will put down their reins
And look for places to hide…
Where they will be fed like the poor.
15‘For He’ll lead their horses into the sea,
And there they will muddy its waters…
Which will bring fear to all, when they see it.
16‘On my lips, there was the sound of a prayer…
Trembling entered my backside and bones…
Yes, all of my ways were disturbed.
But I will find rest in that day of distress…
When I leave the people to whom I was sent.
17‘For their fig trees won’t bear fruit anymore,
And there will be no grapes on their vines.
Their olives will also be gone,
And there will be no crops in their fields.
‘At that time, there will be no more sheep,
And there will be no oxen left in their barns.
18‘But I’ll shout in joy to [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”…
I’ll rejoice over my Savior, God!
19For [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” God is my strength,
And He’s provided straight paths for my feet…
Upon a high place, He has set me,
And by His song, I will win!’
Public Domain
This particular version of the translated text is public domain.
It will soon be replaced with a significantly updated version which will be freely available under a Creative Commons license.