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 labour? Tyranny and violence are before me, power overgoeth right:

for the law is torn in pieces, and there can no right judgment go forth. And why? The ungodly is more set by than the righteous: this is the cause that wrong judgment proceedeth.

For lo, I will raise up the Chaldeans, 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 judgment and punish.

Then shall they take a fresh courage unto them, to go forth and do more evil, and so ascribe that power unto their God.

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.

But thou, O LORD my God, my holy one: thou art from the beginning, therefore shall we not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for punishment, and set them to reprove the mighty.

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.

Thou makest men as the fish in the sea, and like as the creeping beasts, that have no guide.

They come all to spoil: out of them cometh an east wind, which bloweth and gathereth their captives, like as the sand.

Wherefore they cast out their net again, and never cease to slay the people.

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 they unto their net, and do sacrifice unto their yarn: because that through it their portions is become so fat, and their meat so plenteous.

Thine eyes are clean, thou mayest not see evil, thou cannot behold the thing that is wicked. Wherefore then doest thou look upon the ungodly, and holdest thy tongue, when the wicked devoureth the man that is better than himself?

Behold among the Heathen, and look well: wonder at it, and be abashed: For I will do a thing in your time, which though it be told you, ye shall not believe.

This is the heavy burden, which the Prophet Habakkuk did see.