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1. This is the message that was given to Habakkuk the prophet.
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1. The burden H4853 which H834 Habakkuk H2265 the prophet H5030 did see H2372 .
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2. Lord, I continue to ask for help. When will you listen to me? I cried to you about the violence, but you did nothing!
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2. O LORD H3068 , how long H5704 H575 shall I cry H7768 , and thou wilt not H3808 hear H8085 ! even cry out H2199 unto H413 thee of violence H2555 , and thou wilt not H3808 save H3467 !
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3. People are stealing things and hurting others. They are arguing and fighting. Why do you make me look at these terrible things?
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3. Why H4100 dost thou show H7200 me iniquity H205 , and cause me to behold H5027 grievance H5999 ? for spoiling H7701 and violence H2555 are before H5048 me : and there are H1961 that raise up H5375 strife H7379 and contention H4066 .
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4. The law is weak and not fair to people. Evil people win their fights against good people. So the law is no longer fair, and justice does not win anymore.
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4. Therefore H5921 H3651 the law H8451 is slacked H6313 , and judgment H4941 doth never H3808 H5331 go forth H3318 : for H3588 the wicked H7563 doth compass about H3803 H853 the righteous H6662 ; therefore H5921 H3651 wrong H6127 judgment H4941 proceedeth H3318 .
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5. "Look at the other nations! Watch them, and you will be amazed. I will do something in your lifetime that will amaze you. You would not believe it even if you were told about it.
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5. Behold H7200 ye among the heathen H1471 , and regard H5027 , and wonder marvelously H8539 H8539 : for H3588 I will work H6466 a work H6467 in your days H3117 , which ye will not H3808 believe H539 , though H3588 it be told H5608 you .
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6. I will make the Babylonians a strong nation. They are cruel and powerful fighters. They will march across the earth. They will take houses and cities that don't belong to them.
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6. For H3588 , lo H2009 , I raise up H6965 H853 the Chaldeans H3778 , that bitter H4751 and hasty H4116 nation H1471 , which shall march H1980 through the breadth H4800 of the land H776 , to possess H3423 the dwelling places H4908 that are not H3808 theirs.
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7. The Babylonians will scare the other people. They will do what they want to do and go where they want to go.
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7. They H1931 are terrible H366 and dreadful H3372 : their judgment H4941 and their dignity H7613 shall proceed H3318 of H4480 themselves.
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8. Their horses will be faster than leopards and more dangerous than wolves at sunset. Their horse soldiers will come from faraway places. They will attack their enemies quickly, like a hungry eagle swooping down from the sky.
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8. Their horses H5483 also are swifter H7043 than the leopards H4480 H5246 , and are more fierce H2300 than the evening H6153 wolves H4480 H2061 : and their horsemen H6571 shall spread H6335 themselves , and their horsemen H6571 shall come H935 from far H4480 H7350 ; they shall fly H5774 as the eagle H5404 that hasteth H2363 to eat H398 .
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9. The one thing they all want to do is fight. Their armies will march fast like the wind in the desert. And the Babylonian soldiers will take many prisoners�as many as the grains of sand.
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9. They shall come H935 all H3605 for violence H2555 : their faces H6440 shall sup up H4041 as the east wind H6921 , and they shall gather H622 the captivity H7628 as the sand H2344 .
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10. "The Babylonian soldiers will laugh at the kings of other nations. Foreign rulers will be like jokes to them. The Babylonian soldiers will laugh at the cities with tall, strong walls. They will simply build dirt roads up to the top of the walls and easily defeat the cities.
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10. And they H1931 shall scoff H7046 at the kings H4428 , and the princes H7336 shall be a scorn H4890 unto them: they H1931 shall deride H7832 every H3605 stronghold H4013 ; for they shall heap H6651 dust H6083 , and take H3920 it.
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11. Then they will leave like the wind and go on to fight against other places. The only thing the Babylonians worship is their own strength."
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11. Then H227 shall his mind H7307 change H2498 , and he shall pass over H5674 , and offend H816 , imputing this H2098 his power H3581 unto his god H433 .
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12. Lord, you are the one who lives forever! You are my holy God who never dies! Lord, you created the Babylonians to do what must be done. Our Rock, you created them to punish people.
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12. Art thou H859 not H3808 from everlasting H4480 H6924 , O LORD H3068 my God H430 , mine Holy One H6918 ? we shall not H3808 die H4191 . O LORD H3068 , thou hast ordained H7760 them for judgment H4941 ; and , O mighty God H6697 , thou hast established H3245 them for correction H3198 .
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13. Your eyes are too good to look at evil. You cannot stand to see people do wrong. So why do you permit such evil? How can you watch while the wicked destroy people who are so much better?
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13. Thou art of purer H2889 eyes H5869 than to behold H4480 H7200 evil H7451 , and canst H3201 not H3808 look H5027 on H413 iniquity H5999 : wherefore H4100 lookest H5027 thou upon them that deal treacherously H898 , and holdest thy tongue H2790 when the wicked H7563 devoureth H1104 the man that is more righteous H6662 than H4480 he?
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14. You made people like fish in the sea. They are like little sea animals without a leader.
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14. And makest H6213 men H120 as the fishes H1709 of the sea H3220 , as the creeping things H7431 , that have no H3808 ruler H4910 over them?
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15. The enemy catches all of them with hooks and nets. The enemy catches them in his net and drags them in, and the enemy is very happy with what he caught.
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15. They take up H5927 all H3605 of them with the angle H2443 , they catch H1641 them in their net H2764 , and gather H622 them in their drag H4365 : therefore H5921 H3651 they rejoice H8055 and are glad H1523 .
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16. His net helps him live like the rich and enjoy the best food. So the enemy worships his net. He makes sacrifices and burns incense to honor his net.
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16. Therefore H5921 H3651 they sacrifice H2076 unto their net H2764 , and burn incense H6999 unto their drag H4365 ; because H3588 by them H1992 their portion H2506 is fat H8082 , and their meat H3978 plenteous H1277 .
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17. Will he continue to take riches with his net? Will he continue destroying people without showing mercy?
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17. Shall they therefore H5921 H3651 empty H7324 their net H2764 , and not H3808 spare H2550 continually H8548 to slay H2026 the nations H1471 ?
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