Read the Bible

² Our Lord, how long must I beg
for your help
    before you listen?
How long before you save us
    from all this violence?
³ Why do you make me watch
    such terrible injustice?
Why do you allow violence,
lawlessness,
crime, and cruelty
    to spread everywhere?
⁴ Laws cannot be enforced;
    justice is always the loser;
criminals crowd out honest people
    and twist the laws around.

⁵ Look and be amazed
at what's happening
    among the nations!
Even if you were told,
you would never believe
    what's taking place now.
⁶ I am sending the Babylonians.
They are fierce and cruel—
    marching across the land,
    conquering cities and towns.

⁷ How fearsome and frightening.
Their only laws and rules
    are the ones they make up.
⁸ Their cavalry troops are faster
    than leopards,
more ferocious than wolves
    hunting at sunset,
and swifter than hungry eagles
    suddenly swooping down.

⁹ They are eager to destroy,^[b]
and they gather captives
    like handfuls of sand.
¹⁰ They make fun of rulers
    and laugh at fortresses,
while building dirt mounds
    so they can capture cities.^[c]
11 Then suddenly they disappear
    like a gust of wind—
those sinful people who worship
    their own strength.

¹² Holy Lord God, mighty rock,^[d]
you are eternal,
    and we^[e] are safe from death.
You are using those Babylonians
    to judge and punish others.^[f]
13 But you can't stand sin or wrong.
So don't sit by in silence
    while they gobble down people
who are better than they are.

¹⁴ The people you put on this earth
are like fish or reptiles
    without a leader.
¹⁵ Then an enemy comes along
and takes them captive
    with hooks and nets.
It makes him so happy
¹⁶ that he offers sacrifices
    to his fishing nets,
because they make him rich
    and provide choice foods.
¹⁷ Will he keep hauling in his nets
and destroying nations
    without showing mercy?