Plague goes before him; pestilence ¹  marches right behind him. ² 

The one who says to wood, ‘Wake up!’ is as good as dead ¹  – he who says ²  to speechless stone, ‘Awake!’ Can it give reliable guidance? ³  It is overlaid with gold and silver; it has no life’s breath inside it.

Because of his success ¹  he offers sacrifices to his throw net and burns incense to his dragnet; ²  for because of them he has plenty of food, ³  and more than enough to eat. ⁴ 

“You who force your neighbor to drink wine ¹  are as good as dead ²  – you who make others intoxicated by forcing them to drink from the bowl of your furious anger, ³  so you can look at their genitals. ⁴ 

The following is the message ¹  which God revealed to Habakkuk the prophet: ² 

This is a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet: ¹ 

Your creditors will suddenly attack; ¹  those who terrify you will spring into action, ²  and they will rob you. ³ 

He is as bright as lightning; ¹  a two-pronged lightning bolt flashes from his hand. ²  This is the outward display of his power. ³ 

Will he then ¹  continue to fill and empty his throw net? ²  Will he always ³  destroy ⁴  nations and spare none? ⁵ 

For this reason the law lacks power, ¹  and justice is never carried out. ²  Indeed, ³  the wicked intimidate ⁴  the innocent. ⁵  For this reason justice is perverted. ⁶ 

The Lord responded: ¹  “Write down this message! ²  Record it legibly on tablets, so the one who announces ³  it may read it easily. ⁴ 

When the mountains see you, they shake. The torrential downpour sweeps through. ¹  The great deep ²  shouts out; it lifts its hands high. ³ 

You are too just ¹  to tolerate ²  evil; you are unable to condone ³  wrongdoing. So why do you put up with such treacherous people? ⁴  Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour ⁵  those more righteous than they are? ⁶ 

I will stand at my watch post; I will remain stationed on the city wall. ¹  I will keep watching, so I can see what he says to me and can know ²  how I should answer when he counters my argument. ³ 

“But all these nations will someday taunt him ¹  and ridicule him with proverbial sayings: ²  ‘The one who accumulates what does not belong to him is as good as dead ³  (How long will this go on?) ⁴  – he who gets rich by extortion!’ ⁵ 

Your bow is ready for action; ¹  you commission your arrows. ²  Selah. You cause flash floods on the earth’s surface. ³ 

God comes ¹  from Teman, ²  the sovereign ³  one from Mount Paran. ⁴  Selah. ⁵  His splendor covers the skies, ⁶  his glory ⁷  fills the earth.

He takes his battle position ¹  and shakes ²  the earth; with a mere look he frightens ³  the nations. The ancient mountains disintegrate; ⁴  the primeval hills are flattened. He travels on the ancient roads. ⁵ 

Lord, you have been active from ancient times; ¹  my sovereign God, ²  you are immortal. ³  Lord, you have made them ⁴  your instrument of judgment. ⁵  Protector, ⁶  you have appointed them as your instrument of punishment. ⁷ 

For the message is a witness to what is decreed; ¹  it gives reliable testimony about how matters will turn out. ²  Even if the message ³  is not fulfilled right away, wait patiently; ⁴  for it will certainly come to pass – it will not arrive late.