Habakkuk · Chapter 1

[ edit] The charge þat Abacuk, prophete, ſaw. Hou longe, Lord, ſhal Y crye, and þou ſhalt not heere graciouſly? Y ſuffringe violence ſhal crie on heeȝ, and ſhalt þou not ſaue? Whi ſhewidiſt þou to me wickidneſſe and traueile, for to ſee pray and vnriȝtwiſneſſe aȝeinus me? Whi biholdiſt þou diſpiſers, and art ſtille, þe vnpitouſe man defoulyng a iuſter þan hym? And þou ſhalt make men as fiſhis of þe ſe, and as crepynge þingis not hauynge duyk; and dom is maad, and aȝeinſayinge more miȝty. For þis þing law is to-broken, and dom cummeþ not vn to þe eende; for vnpitous man haþ miȝt aȝeinus þe iuſt, þerfore weywerd dom ſhal go out.

Biholde ȝe in heþen men, and ſee ȝe, and wondre ȝee, and gretely dreede ȝee; for a worke is don in ȝour days, whiche no man ſhal byleeue, whan it ſhal be told. For loo! Y ſhal reyſe Caldeis, a bitter folk and ſwift, goynge vpon þe breed of erþe, þat he weelde tabernaclis not his. He is orrible, and dreedeful; of hym ſelf dome, and his charge ſhal go out. His horſis liȝter þan pardis, and ſwifter þan euyn wolues, and his horſmen ſhuln be ſcatrid abrode; for whi horſmen ſhuln cum fro fer, þei ſhuln flee as an egle haſtynge to ete. Alle men ſhuln cume to preye, þe face of hem as brennynge wynde; and he ſhal gadre as grauel caitiftee.

And he ſhal haue victorie of kyngis, and tirauntis ſhuln be his leiȝingis; he ſhal leiȝe vpon al ſtrengþe, and ſhal bere to gidre an hepe of erþe, and ſhal take it. Þanne þe ſpirit of hym ſhal be chaungid, and he ſhal paſſe by, and falle to gydre; þis is þe ſtrengþe of hym, of his god. Wher not þou fro bigynnynge, Lord my God, myn holy, and we ſhuln not dye? Lord, in to dome þou haſt putte hym, and þou groundidiſt hym ſtrong, þat þou ſhuldiſt chaſtiſe. Þyn eeȝen ben cleene, ſee þou not yuel, and þou ſhalt not mow biholde to wickidneſſe. Whi biholdiſt þou not vpon men doynge wickidly, and þou art ſtille, þe vnpytouſe man deuourynge a more iuſt þan hym?

And þou ſhalt make men as fiſhis of þe ſe, and as crepynge þing not hauynge prince. Alle in hooke he ſhal lifte vp; he drawide it in his nett, and gadride in to his net; vpon þis þing he ſhal glade, and ioye wiþ out forþ. Þerfore he ſhal offre to his nett, and he ſhal make ſacrifice to his nett; for in hem his part is maad fatt, and his mete choſen. Þerfore for þis þing he ſprediþ abrood his nett, and euermore he ſhal not ſpare for to ſlea folkis.