Habakkuk from the living Bible

Chapter 1

This is the message that came to the Prophet Habakkuk in a vision from God:

Oh Lord, how long must I call for help for you will listen?  I shout to you in vain; there is no answer.

“Help!  Murder!”  I cried, but no one comes to save.  Must I forever see this sin and sadness all around me?

Wherever I look there is oppression and bribery in men who love to argue and fight.  The law is not enforced and there is no justice given in the courts, for the wicked far outnumber the righteous, and bribes and trickery prevail.

The Lord replied: “look, and be amazed!  You will be astounded at what I am about to do!  For I am going to do something in your own lifetime that you will have to see to believe.  I am raising a new force on the world scene, the Chaledens, a cruel and violent nation who will march across the world and conquer it.  They are notorious for their cruelty.  They do as they like, and no one can interfere.  There are forces are swifter than leopards.  They are a fierce people, more fierce than wolves at dusk.  Their Calvary move probably full word from a distant land; like eagles they come swooping down to pounce on their prey.  All opposition melts away before the terror of their presence.  They collect captives like sand.

“They scoff at Kings and princes, and scorn their forts.  They simply keep up dirt against their walls and capture them!  They sweep past like wind and are gone, but their guilt is deep, for they claim their power is from their gods.”

Oh Lord my God, my holy one, you who are eternal — is your plan in all of this to wipe us out?  Surely not!  Oh god our rock, you have decreed the rise of the Chaledens to chasten and correct us for our awful sins?

We are wicked, but they are more!  Will you, who cannot allow sin in any form, stand idly by while they swallow us up?  Should you be silent while the wicked destroy those who are better than they?

Are we but fish, to be caught and killed?  Are we but creeping things that have no leader to defend them from their foes?  Must we be strong up on their hooks and dragged out in their nets, while they rejoice?

Then they will worship their nets and burn incense before them!  “These other gods to make us rich,” they’ll say.

We let them get away with this forever?  Will they succeed forever in their heartless wars?