Targum Jonathan on the Prophets Habakkuk · chapter 1

Tap any Aramaic word to trace it to its Jastrow dictionary entry.

1. 1

   מְטַל נְבוּאֲתָא דְאִתְנַבֵּי חֲבַקוּק נְבִיָא:

   This is the burden that Habakkuk the prophet received in a vision:

2. 2

   עַד אֵימָתַי יְיָ אֲנָא מְצַלֵי הֲלָא גְלֵי קֳדָמָךְ קָבֵילְנָא קֳדָמָךְ עַל חֲטוֹפִין הֲלָא יוּכְלָא קֳדָמָךְ לְמִפְרַק:

   How long, O LORD, must I call for help but You do not hear, or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save?

3. 3

   לְמָא אֲנָא חָזֵי אֲנוֹסִין וּמִסְתַּכֵּיל כְּעָבְדֵי לֵיאוּת שְׁקַר בְּזוֹזִין וַחֲטוֹפִין לְקִבְלִי דִבְתַחֲרוּתָא וּבִזְדוֹנָא אִינוּן מִתְגַבְּרִין:

   Why do You make me see iniquity? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds.

4. 4

   עַל כֵּן פָּגַת אוֹרַיְתָא וְלָא נָפֵיק לְאַפְרַשׁ דִינָא אֲרֵי רְשִׁיעַיָא מְסַלְעֲמִין לְצַדִיקַיָא עַל כֵּן לָא נָפֵיק דִינָא כֵיוָן:

   Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

5. 5

   חֲזוֹ בְּעַמְמַיָא וְאִסְתַּכָּלוּ אִתְרְפוֹ שְׁוָהוּ אֲרֵי עוֹבָדָא אִתְעֲבֵיד בְּיוֹמֵיכוֹן לָא תְהֵימְנוּן אֲרֵי יִשְׁתָּעוּן לְכוֹן:

   “Look at the nations and observe— be utterly astounded! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you.

6. 6

   אֲרֵי הָא אֲנָא מֵקִים יַת כַּסְדָאֵי עַמָא מוֹחֲיָא וְקַלִילָא דְאָזֵיל לִפְתָאֵי אַרְעָא לְאַחְסָנָא קִרְוִין דְלָא דִילֵיהּ:

   For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans — that ruthless and impetuous nation which marches through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own.

7. 7

   אֵימְתָנִין וּדְחִילִין אִינוּן מִנֵיהּ דִינֵיהּ וּגְזֵרָתֵיהּ נָפְקִין:

   They are dreaded and feared; from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty.

8. 8

   וְקַלִילִין מִנְמָרַיָא סוּסְוָתֵיהּ וַחֲרִיפִין מִדֵיבֵי רַמְשָׁא וְיִרְבוּן פָּרָשׁוֹהִי וּפָרָשׁוֹהִי מֵרָחִיק דְיֵיתוּן מִשְׁתְּדָן כְּנִשְׁרָא דְטָאֵיס לְמֵיכַל:

   Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead, and their cavalry comes from afar. They fly like a vulture, swooping down to devour.

9. 9

   כּוּלְהוֹן לַחֲטוֹף אָתָן מִקֳבֵיל אַפֵּיהוֹן דָמָן כְּרוּחַ קָדִים קִידוּמָא וּכְנַשׁ כְּחָלָא שִׁבְיָא:

   All of them come bent on violence; their hordes advance like the east wind; they gather prisoners like sand.

10. 10

    וְהוּא עַל מַלְכַיָא מִתְלַעַב וְעַל שִׁלְטוֹנַיָא מְחַיָךְ הוּא לְכָל כְּרַךְ תַּקִיף מֵעִיק וּצְבַר מִלְיָתָא וְכַּבְשָׁהּ:

    They scoff at kings and make rulers an object of scorn. They laugh at every fortress and build up siege ramps to seize it.

11. 11

    בְּכֵן עַל דְרָמַת רוּחֵיהּ עֲלוֹהִי עֲדָא מִמַלְכוּתֵיהּ וְחַב עַל דְאַסְגֵי יְקָרָא לְטַעֲוָתֵיהּ:

    Then they sweep by like the wind and pass through. They are guilty; their own strength is their god.”

12. 12

    הֲלָא אַתְּ יְיָ בָּרֵיתָ עַלְמָא מִבְּרֵאשִׁית אַתְּ אֱלָהָא דַיָן קְשׁוֹט עַל כָּל בִּרְיָתָךְ קַדִישׁ בְּעוֹבָדֵי הֵימָנוּתָא מֵימְרָךְ קַיָם לְעַלְמִין יְיָ לְמֶעְבַּד דִינָא בְרֵיתֵיהּ וְתַקִיף לְאִתְפְּרָעָא אַתְקִינְתֵּיהּ:

    Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. O LORD, You have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, You have established them for correction.

13. 13

    בְּרִיר מֵימְרָךְ מִלְמֶחֱזֵי בְּעוֹבָדֵי בִּישׁ וּמִלְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּעָבְדֵי לֵיאוּת שְׁקַר הֲלָא גְלֵי קֳדָמָךְ וּלְמָא אַתְּ מִסְתַּכֵּל בְּאָנְסִין וְאַתְּ יָהֵיב אַרְכָּא לְרַשִׁיעַיָא וּמְסַלְעֲמִין לִדְטָבִין מִנְהוֹן:

    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. 14

    וַעֲבַדְתָּא אֱנָשָׁא כְּנוּנֵי יַמָא כְּרִיחֲשָׁא דְלֵית שׁוּלְטַן עֲלוֹהִי:

    You have made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler.

15. 15

    כּוּלְהוֹן דָמָן לְצַיָדִין דְאָחֵיד נוּנָא בְּחַכְּתָא כָנֵישׁ לֵיהּ בְּחָרְמֵיהּ וְרָמֵי לֵיהּ בִּמְצַדְתֵּיהּ עַל כֵּן חָדַי וְדָאִיץ:

    The foe pulls all of them up with a hook; he catches them in his dragnet, and gathers them in his fishing net; so he rejoices gladly.

16. 16

    עַל כֵּן מַדְבַּח לִזְיָנֵיהּ וּמַסִיק בּוּסְמִין לְסַמְוָתֵיהּ אֲרֵי בְהוֹן טַב מֵיכְלֵיהּ וְשֵׁירוּתֵיהּ מַטְעֲמָא:

    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. 17

    הַעַל אִילֵין יִשְׁלַח מַשִׁרְיָתֵיהּ בִּתְדִירָא לְאוֹסָפָא עַמְמִין וְלָא בַּחַיָס:

    Will he, therefore, empty his net and continue to slay nations without mercy?