
WHY DO YOU MAKE ME SEE 
INJUSTICE?{/}

{1}1{/}

{I}1_{/}These are the 
message and the vision of 
Habakkuk, the prophet.
{I}2_{/}Yahweh, how long 
will I cry for help while 
you pay no attention to 
me? I denounce the 
oppression and you do not 
save.
{I}3_{/}Why do you make 
me see injustice?
Are you pleased to look 
on tyranny? All I see is 
outrage, violence and 
quarrels.
{I}4_{/}That is why the 
Law has been put aside 
and just decrees are no 
longer issued. The wicked 
overrule the upright and 
they get crooked 
sentences.
FIRST REPLY{/}

{I}5_{/}Look, traitors, 
and pay attention; be 
amazed and astounded, for 
I am going to do in your 
own days, something that 
you would not believe if 
you were told it.
{I}6_{/}I am going to 
call the Chaldeans, that 
terrifying and violent 
people who raid to the 
ends of the earth, to 
seize the lands of 
others. {I}7_{/}I call a 
terrible and dangerous 
nation who obey no other 
law but their own will. 
{I}8_{/}Their horses are 
speedier than leopards, 
fiercer than wolves on 
the plain; their riders 
gallop on and come from 
afar, they swoop like the 
eagle descending on its 
prey.
{I}9_{/}When they launch 
themselves for an attack, 
pushed forward by the 
desert wind, they round 
up prisoners like sand. 
{I}10_{/}This people 
makes fun of kings and 
laughs at princes; they 
make light of fortified 
cities, for they build up 
an embankment and seize 
them. {I}11_{/}Thus they 
come and go like the 
wind! Their strength is 
their god!
SECOND COMPLAINT OF THE 
PROPHET{/}

{I}12_{/}But you, are you 
not Yahweh from past 
ages? You, my holy God, 
you cannot die. You have 
set this people to serve 
your justice and you have 
made them firm as a rock 
to fulfill your 
punishment.
{I}13_{/}Yahweh, your 
eyes are too pure to 
tolerate wickedness and 
you cannot look on 
oppression. Why, then, do 
you look on treacherous 
people and watch in 
silence while the 
evildoer swallows up one 
better than himself?
{I}14_{/}You treat human 
beings like the fish in 
the sea, like reptiles 
who are nobody's concern. 
{I}15_{/}This nation 
catches all on its hook, 
pulls them out with its 
net and piles them up in 
its dragnet. 
{I}16_{/}Pleased and 
delighted at their catch, 
they offer sacrifices to 
their net and burn 
incense to their 
dragnets, since these 
supplied them with fish 
in plenty and provided 
them with food in 
abundance. {I}17_{/}Will 
they continue, then, to 
constantly empty their 
nets, slaughtering 
nations without mercy?
SECOND REPLY: THE UPRIGHT 
WILL LIVE BY HIS 
FAITHFULNESS{/}

{1}2{/}

{I}1_{/}I will stand in 
my watchtower and take up 
position on my 
battlements; I will see 
what he replies, if there 
is an answer to my 
question.
{I}2_{/}Then Yahweh 
answered me and said,
"Write down the vision, 
inscribe it on tables so 
it can be easily read, 
{I}3_{/}since this is a 
vision for an appointed 
time; it will not fail 
but will be fulfilled in 
due time. If it delays, 
wait for it, for it will 
come and will not be 
deferred. Look:
{I}4_{/}I don't look with 
favor on the one who 
gives way; the upright, 
on the other hand, will 
live by his 
faithfulness."
{I}5_{/}The grasping 
conqueror is always ready 
to devour, he enlarges 
his mouth like the 
netherworld; he is as 
insatiable as death, he 
seizes on all the nations 
and monopolizes all the 
peoples for himself. 
{I}6_{/}But will not all 
the people mock him, as 
with one voice? Will they 
not write fierce satires 
to show him up? They will 
say,
AGAINST THE OPPRESSOR{/}

Woe to him who amasses 
what is not his and fills 
himself with extorted 
pledges. {I}7_{/}Your 
creditors will come 
suddenly, your money 
collectors will waken and 
take away all your goods.
{I}8_{/}Since you have 
plundered so many 
nations, shedding blood, 
stripping the land, their 
cities and homes, all the 
remaining nations will 
turn on you.
{I}9_{/}Woe to him who 
raises his house on 
unjust profits and fixes 
his nest so high that he 
thinks he can thereby 
escape misfortune!
{I}10_{/}You have willed 
the disgrace of your 
house; you draw evil on 
your own head. 
{I}11_{/}The very stones 
of your walls cry out 
against you and the 
rafters reply from the 
roof.
{I}12_{/}Woe to the one 
who builds a city on 
bloody foundations and 
sets up a town by means 
of evil. {I}13_{/}Has 
Yahweh of hosts not 
willed that the work of 
the nations go to the 
fire and the peoples toil 
for nothing?
({I}14{/}){I}15_{/}Woe to 
him who gives drink to 
his neighbors and drugs 
them to make them drunk 
so that everyone looks at 
their nakedness. 
{I}16_{/}This will bring 
you more shame than 
glory. You will also 
drink and uncover your 
foreskin. The cup turns 
over in Yahweh's hand and 
pours out onto you: 
disgrace will swallow 
your glory.
{I}17_{/}The violence you 
did in Lebanon will 
befall{I}_{/}you and the 
animals will devour you, 
since you slaughtered 
human beings, destroyed 
the country with its 
cities and put an end to 
all who lived there.
{I}18_{/}What use is a 
statue? Why do the 
sculptors make them? Why 
these images and 
deceiving answers? Why do 
their makers trust them 
and produce mute idols? 
{I}19_{/}Woe to the one 
who says to a piece of 
wood, "Wake up," and to a 
dumb stone, "Get up." Can 
it give any answer? For, 
even though it is plated 
with gold and silver, 
there is not a single 
breath of life in it.
{I}20_{/}But Yahweh lives 
in his holy Temple: let 
the whole earth be silent 
before him!
PRAYER OF HABAKKUK{/}

{1}3{/}

{I}1_{/}Prayer of 
Habakkuk, the prophet. To 
the tune of a dirge.
{I}2_{/}I have heard, 
Yahweh, of your renown;
I stand in awe of your 
work, O Yahweh.
In the middle of years 
make it known;
in your wrath even, 
remember mercy.
{I}3_{/}God comes from 
Teman,
the Holy One from Mount 
Paran.
His glory shrouds the 
heavens,
his praise fills the 
earth,
{I}4_{/}his splendor is 
like the daylight
with rays flashing from 
his hand,
radiating from his hidden 
power.
{I}5_{/}Pestilence goes 
before him,
plague follows close 
behind.
{I}6_{/}He stands and the 
earth sways;
he looks and the nations 
tremble.
The ancient mountains 
crumble,
the time-honored hills 
collapse.
{I}7_{/}I saw the tents 
of Cushan in distress,
the pavilions of Midian 
in anguish.
{I}8_{/}Was your anger 
against the rivers, 
Yahweh?
Was your wrath against 
the sea
that you drive your 
steeds
with your invincible 
chariots?
{I}9_{/}You bare and 
ready your bow
and set upon it your 
arrow.
With rivers you cleave 
the earth.
{I}10_{/}At your sight 
the mountains writhe.
Torrents of water 
ragingly sweep by,
the deep roaring, lifting 
its waves high.
{I}11_{/}The sun and moon 
stood still
at the glint of your 
flying arrows,
at the gleam of your 
flashing spears.
{I}12_{/}You stride the 
earth in wrath,
you trample the nations 
in rage.
{I}13_{/}You came out to 
redeem your people,
to save your anointed one 
-
you crush the head of the 
wicked,
you lay him bare from 
head to foot.
{I}14_{/}You pierce with 
your shafts his warriors 
who came like a whirlwind 
to scatter us in joy,
to devour the wretched 
quietly.
{I}15_{/}You trample the 
waters with your horses,
amid the churning of the 
great seas.
{I}16_{/}I heard and my 
heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the 
sound.
Decay crept into my 
bones;
my legs tottered under my 
body.
Yet I wait confidently 
for the day of distress,
when we face the people 
coming against us.
{I}17_{/}For though the 
fig trees blossom not,
nor grapes be on the 
vines,
though the olive crop 
fail
and the fields produce no 
food,
though the flock be lost 
from the fold,
and the herd be gone from 
the stalls,
{I}18_{/}yet in Yahweh 
will I rejoice,
in God my savior will I 
exult.
{I}19_{/}My Lord Yahweh 
is my stronghold;
he makes my feet as 
fleeting as the hinds;
he steadies my steps upon 
the heights.
For the choirmaster: with 
stringed instruments.

