The Book of the
Prophet Abacuk
(Habakkuk
means to “embrace” from the Hebrew)
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Chapter 1
This is the heavy burden, which
the Prophet Abacuk did see. O' Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou
wilt not hear? How long shall I complain unto thee, suffering wrong,
and thou wilt not help? Why lettest thou me see weariness and labor?
Tyranny and violence are before me, power over goeth right: for the
land is torn in pieces, and there can no right judgement go forth.
And why? the ungodly is more set by then the righteous: this is the
cause, that the wrong judgement proceedeth. Behold among the
Heathen, and look well: wonder at it, and be abashed: For I do a
thing in your time, which though it be told you, ye shall not
believe.
For lo, I will rise up the **Cauldees, that bitter and swift
people: which shall go as wide as the land is, to take possession of
dwelling places, that be not their own. A grim and boisterous people
is it, these shall sit in judgement and punish. Their horses are
swifter than the cats of the mountain, and bite sorer than the
wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come by great heaps from far,
they flee hastily to devour as the Eagle. They come all to spoil:
out of them cometh an east wind, which bloweth and gathereth their
captives, like as the sand. They shall mock the kings, and laugh the
princes to scorn. They shall not set by any strong hold, for they
shall lay ordinance against it, and take it. Then shall they take a
fresh courage unto them, to go forth and do more evil, and so
ascribe that power unto their God.
But thou O' Lord my God, my holy one thou art from the
beginning, therefore shall we not die. O' Lord, thou hast ordered
them for punishment, and set them to reprove the mighty. Thine eyes
are clean, thou mayest not see evil, thou can not behold that thing
that is wicked. Wherefore when thou dost look upon the ungodly, and
holdest thy tongue, when the wicked devour the man that is better
then himself? Thou makest men as the fish in the sea, and like as
the creeping beasts, that have no guide. They take up all with their
*angle they catch it in their net, and gather it in their yarn:
whereof they rejoice and are glad. Therefore offer unto their net,
and do sacrifice unto their yarn: because through it their portions
is become so fat, and their meat so plenteous. Wherefore they cast
out their net again, and never cause to slay the people.
**Cauldees=from the Hebrew: those willing to do evil. *angle (hook)
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Chapter 2
I stood upon my watch, and set
me upon my bulwark, to look and see what he would say unto me, and
what answer I should give him that reproveth me. But the Lord
answered me, and said: Write the vision plainly upon thy tables,
that who so cometh by, may read it: for the vision is yet far off
for a time, but at the last it shall come to pass, and not fail. And
though he tarry, yet wait thou for him, for in very deed he will
come, and not be slack. Behold, who so will not believe, his soul
shall not prosper: but the just shall live by his faith. Like as the
wine decieveth the drunkard, even so the proud shall fail and not
endure. He openeth his desire wide up as hell, and is as unsatiable
as death. All Heathen gathereth he to him, and heapeth unto him all
people.
But shall not all these take up a proverb against him, and
mock him with and by word, and say: Woe unto him that heapeth up
other mens goods? How long will he laden him self with thick clay? O
how suddenly will they stand up, that bite, and awake, that shall
tear into pieces? yee thou shalt be their prey. Seeing thou hast
spoiled many Heathen, therefore shall the remnant of the people
spoil thee: because of mens blood, and for the wrong done in the
land, in the city and unto all them that dwell therein.
Woe unto him, that covetously gathereth evil gotten goods into
his house: that he may set his nest on high, to escape the power of
misfortune. Thou hast devised the shame of thy own house, for thou
hast slain so much people, and hast willfully offended: so that the
very stones of that wall will cry out of it., and the timber that
layeth betwixt the joints of the building shall answer. Woe unto
him, that buildeth the town with blood, and maintaineth the city
with unrighteousness. Shall not the Lord of hosts bring this to
pass, that the laborers of the people be burnt with a great fire,
and that the thing where upon the people have wearied themselves,
shall be lost? For the earth shall be full of knowledge of the Lords
honor, like as the waters that cover the sea.
Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, to get him
wrothfull displeasure for his drunkenness: that he may see his *prevites.
Therefore with shame thou shalt be filled, in stead of honor. Drink
thou also, till thou slumber with all: for the cup of the Lords
right hand shall compass thee about, and shameful spewing instead of
worship. For the wrong thou hast done in Libanus, shall overwhelm
thee, and the wild beasts shall make thee afraid: because of mens
blood, and for the wrong done in the land, in the city, and to all
such as dwell therein.
What then will the Image do, whom the workman hath fashioned?
Or the vain cast Image, wherein because the craftsmen putteth his
trust, therefore maketh he dumb Idols? Woe unto him, that sayeth
unto a piece of wood: arise, and to a dumb stone: stand up. For what
instruction may such one give? Behold it is laid over with gold and
silver, and there is no breath in it. But the Lord in his holy
temple is he, whom all the world should fear.
*prevites=expose things held private, betrayal of confidentiality.
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Chapter 3
O' Lord, when I heard speak of
them, I was afraid. The work thou hast taken in hand, shalt thou
perform in his time, O' Lord: and when thy time cometh, thou shalt
declare it. In thy very wrath thou thinkest upon mercy. God cometh
from Theman, and the holy one from the mount of Pharan. *Selah.
His glory covereth the heavens, and the earth is full of his
praise. His shine is as the sun, and beams of light go out of his
hands, there is his power hid. destruction goeth before him, and
burning *cressettes go from his feet. He standeth , and measureth
the earth. He looketh, and the people consume away, the mountains of
the world fall down to *porolder, and the hills are faine to bow
themselves, for his goings are everlasting and sure.
I saw, that the pavilions of the Morians and the tents of the
land of Madian were vexed for weariness. Wast thou not angry, O'
Lord, in the waters? was not thy wrath in the floods, and thy
displeasure in the sea? Yes, when thou satest upon thine horse, and
when thy chariots had the victory. Thou showedest thy bow openly,
like as thou hadest promised with an oath unto the tribes. Selah.
Thou didest divide the waters of the earth. When the mountains
saw thee, they were afraid, the water stream went away: the deep
made a noise at the lifting up of thy hand. The Sun and the Moon
remained still in their habitation. Thine arrows went out
glittering, and thy spears as that shine of lighting. Thou trodest
down the land in thy anger, and didest *throshe the Heathen in thy
displeasure. Thou camest forth to help thy people, to help thine
anointed. Thou smotest down the head of the house of the ungodly,
and discoveredest his foundations, even unto the neck of him.
Selah
Thou cursest his scepters, the Captain of his own men of war:
which come as a stormy wind to scare me abroad, and are glad when
they can eat up the poor secretly. Thou makest away for thy horses
in the sea, even in the mud of the great waters. When I hear this,
my body is vexed, my lips tremble at the voice thereof, my bones
corrupt, I am afraid where I stand. O that I might rest in the day
of trouble, that I may go up unto our people, which are already
prepared.
For the fig trees shall not be green, and the vines shall bare
no fruit. The labor of the olive shall be but lost, and the land
shall bring no corn: the sheep shall be taken out of the fold, and
there shall be no cattle in the stalls. But as for me, I will be
glad in the Lord, and will rejoice in God my Savior. The Lord God is
my strength, he shall make my feet as the feet of *herts: and he
which giveth the victory, shall bring me to my high places singing
upon my psalms.
*Selah= to lift up, exalt. *cresset =A metal cup, often suspended on
a pole, containing burning oil or pitch and used as a torch. *porolder=parol=Expressed
or evidenced by word of mouth *throshe=a condition of agonizing
struggle pain / trouble *herts = deer meaning swift and agile.
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