Habakkuk’s Second Complaint

(Psalm 11:1–7)

Are You not from everlasting,

O LORD, my God, my Holy One?

vvv We will not die.

O LORD, You have appointed them

to execute judgment;

O Rock, You have established them

for correction.

13 

Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil,

and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing.

So why do You tolerate the faithless?

Why are You silent

while the wicked swallow up

those more righteous than themselves?

14 

You have made men like the fish of the sea,

like creeping things [that have] no ruler

15 

[The foe] pulls all of them up[fn] with a hook;

he catches them in his dragnet,

and gathers them in his fishing net;

so he rejoices gladly

16 

Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnet

and burns incense to his fishing net,

for by these things his portion is sumptuous

and his food is rich.

17 

Will he, therefore, empty his net

and continue to slay nations without mercy? 2