Habakkuk 1: Why does God see and let us see evil and not save us from ungodly nations? A powerful violent nation is raised up with a mocking disloyal leader scoffs but both groups trust in what captures them in a hook and net.

1: The burden (Zech 9:1,12:1) which Habakkuk the prophet had envisioned.

2: Yehoweh, Till where did I cry for help and You won’t hear. I shriek “Hamas” (violence) and You do not cause to save me.  

3: For why do you cause me to see troublesome-evil and stare at toil?**

And devastation and violence is in front of me. Strife and contention happen to rise up.

4: Upon which an instruction manual grows numb.

And Justice does not go forth to perpetuity.

For a wicked beseige/ enclosing on the/time of the righteous.  

And thus goes forth bent verdicts.

5: Look in unbelieving nations. Cause to inspect and dumbfoundedly make yourself dumbfounded for a work worked in your days not a cause to confirm (amen) if recounted (you wouldn’t believe when told).  

6: For Behold, I cause to raise up (partcp – causing-to-raise-up me) the/time of the unbelieving, the bitter and hastened (h’mar, h’nimhar) nation of the Kashdim (from Kesed, Abraham’s brother, Nahor’s son, living in Iraq and likely also Babylonian), walker of the land’s breadth, dispossessing from houses (which) aren’t theirs.

7: Awesome and feared is he.

His verdicts and his uprisings emerge from him.

8: Their horses were more light-footed than leopards and were sharper than wolves. Their steeds spread out, and from afar their steeds – the traverse, they fly like an eagle, hurrying to consume.

9:  They all traverse for violence, an accumulation of eastern faces, and gather- to-remove captives like sand.

10: And he, he makes himself scoff at kings. And  his derision-laughter for commanders. He deridingly-laughs and heaps up all fortifications and seizes rubble.

11: Then a spirit passed by and he crosses over and is guilty of this sticking-strength (?disloyal) to his god.

12: Are You not from the first/east, Yehoweh, my Holy God? We do not die, Yehoweh.  They are appointed for judgement and Rock, You cause convicting and fixed them.

13: Pure eyes beholding troublesome-evil and causing to stare on toil**. You cannot. Then why do you cause to stare at the covert/treacherous?

Cause to plough in when a wicked gobbles up a one more righteous than him.

14:  why do you make a man like a fish of the sea, like a reptile who has no ruler over him?

15: Each of them caused to ascend with a fish hook and they drag in their net/respective device. They gather to assemble in their fisherman’s net. And thus they rejoice and are glad.

16:  And they sacrifice to their respective device/ net and burn incense to their fisherman’s net for by them plentiful booty and and fatty/rich food.

17: Shall then He cause to empty their respective device/net and perpetually slay unbelieving nations without pity?

Pause and think about that!

Prayer:

What a burden is all the evil and toil around us! But we do not die – because You save us.

What mocking goes on by nations and leaders who ignore You! They are violently pursuing their own interests which have, unbelievably, captivated them. You cause them to be judged! You send an arrogant violent nation and its leader against them. You fix them both! Amen