Habakkuk 1:4

Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness;

Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

he who doesn’t lend out his money for usury, nor take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be shaken.

For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

They don’t know, neither do they understand. They walk back and forth in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken.

He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.

When his speech is charming, don’t believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.

“Everyone beware of his neighbor, and don’t trust in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go around like a slanderer.

“You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the words of the righteous.

“ ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.

You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.”

His sons didn’t walk in his ways, but turned away after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

The tents of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their god in their hands.

They change the night into day, saying ‘The light is near’ in the presence of darkness.

You say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?

Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!

Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him. Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.

Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil;

“I have struck your children in vain. They received no correction. Your own sword has devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his rooms of imagery? For they say, ‘Yahweh doesn’t see us. Yahweh has forsaken the land.’ ”

They trample on the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and deny justice to the oppressed; and a man and his father use the same maiden, to profane my holy name;

Now we call the proud happy; yes, those who work wickedness are built up; yes, they tempt God, and escape.’

Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,

saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.”

Take, brothers, for an example of suffering and of perseverance, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Here I am. Witness against me before Yahweh, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”

He said, “I have been very jealous for Yahweh, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

‘Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons,’ says Yahweh; ‘and I will repay you in this plot of ground,’ says Yahweh. Now therefore take and cast him onto the plot of ground, according to Yahweh’s word.”

but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until Yahweh’s wrath arose against his people, until there was no remedy.

It was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts.” Job did so continually.

My brothers have dealt deceitfully as a brook, as the channel of brooks that pass away;

that the triumphing of the wicked is short, the joy of the godless but for a moment?

“Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power?

Everyone lies to his neighbor. They speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart.

Into your hand I commend my spirit. You redeem me, Yahweh, God of truth.

Don’t fret because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness.

Against you, and you only, I have sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight, so you may be proved right when you speak, and justified when you judge.

I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother’s children.

though the wicked spring up as the grass, and all the evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.

It is time to act, Yahweh, for they break your law.

You are righteous, Yahweh. Your judgments are upright.

If only you, God, would kill the wicked. Get away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.

The fool will no longer be called noble, nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

When Jeremiah had finished speaking to all the people all the words of Yahweh their God, with which Yahweh their God had sent him to them, even all these words,

“Yahweh is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment. Please hear all you peoples, and see my sorrow. My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity.

“ ‘Make chains; for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.

Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger. Behold, they put the branch to their nose.

Then he said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perversion; for they say, ‘Yahweh has forsaken the land, and Yahweh doesn’t see.’

“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren’t your ways unequal?

There is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break boundaries, and bloodshed causes bloodshed.

making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you refused!

Pilate decreed that what they asked for should be done.

Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Having said this, he breathed his last.

Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”

Peter opened his mouth and said, “Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism;

He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

For there is no partiality with God.

I don’t reject the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!”

who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and don’t please God, and are contrary to all men,

My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality.

You shall not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, nor take a widow’s clothing in pledge;

‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, fatherless, and widow.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

Yahweh, the God of Israel, you are righteous; for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guiltiness; for no one can stand before you because of this.”

because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—

I have seen the wicked in great power, spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has fallen in the street, and uprightness can’t enter.

For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me,” says Yahweh.

But, Yahweh of Armies, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, I will see your vengeance on them; for to you I have revealed my cause.

You are righteous, Yahweh, when I contend with you; yet I would like to reason the cause with you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are they all at ease who deal very treacherously?

“Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us confusion of face, as it is today; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near, and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you.

Yahweh, within her, is righteous. He will do no wrong. Every morning he brings his justice to light. He doesn’t fail, but the unjust know no shame.

You have wearied Yahweh with your words. Yet you say, ‘How have we wearied him?’ In that you say, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in Yahweh’s sight, and he delights in them;’ or ‘Where is the God of justice?’

But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.

“You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice.

“You shall not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.

You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

If there is a controversy between men, and they come to judgment and the judges judge them, then they shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.

How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house on his bed, should I not now require his blood from your hand, and rid the earth of you?”

The two men, the wicked fellows, came in and sat before him. The wicked fellows testified against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death with stones.

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?

For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet.

Deliver me from the workers of iniquity. Save me from the bloodthirsty men.

I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Rise up, behold, and help me!

Yahweh, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?

For even your brothers, and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you! Even they have cried aloud after you! Don’t believe them, though they speak beautiful words to you.

When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You shall surely die!

They make promises, swearing falsely in making covenants. Therefore judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth:

For I know how many your offenses, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn away the needy in the courts.

He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one.

Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers.

They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth.”

Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.

as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.