¶ This is the heavy burthen, which the Prophet Abacuk did see.
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 over goeth right:
for the law is torn in pieces, and there can no right judgement go forth. And why? the ungodly is more set by than the righteous: this is the cause, that wrong judgement proceedeth.
¶ 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.
For lo, I will raise up the Cauldees, 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 judgement and punish.
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 Aegle.
They come all to spoil: out of them cometh an east wind, which bloweth and gathereth their captives, like as the sand.
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.
Then shall they take a fresh courage unto them, to go forth and do more evil, and so ascribe that power unto their God.
¶ 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.
Thine eyes are clean, thou mayest not see evil, thou can not 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?
Thou makest men as the fish in the sea, and like as the creeping beasts, that have no guide.
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 thorow it their portions is become so fat, and their meat so plenteous.
Wherefore they cast out their net again, and never cease to slay the people.
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Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.