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The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.
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O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, "Violence!" And You will not save.
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Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises.
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Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.
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"Look among the nations and watch-- Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.
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For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.
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They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.
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Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.
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"They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. They gather captives like sand.
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They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it.
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Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god."