1 Dama lakaamutjigwa nge Nlebesambeli Habakuku.
Ng'ong'olo dza Habakuku
2 Kowotola tjibaka tjingapani Yahwe, ndikumbila bhatsho,
koga imwi musingahwilile?
Ndimimilila kumuli nditi, “Phipiti,”
ngono musingatjidze?
3 Ini muthama kuti ndibone tjisakatambunuka,
ndilinge mbipo kene?
Golomodzo ne phipiti zwimbeli kwangu,
kugwa ne kumukilana ku pamwe ne pamwe.
4 Ndizo wali nlayo wadzinganyidziwa,
kutambunuka akuna pakunobepo.
Ngoti babi banokombeledza balulwami,
ndizo kuti kutambunuka kuleyane.
Dabilo ya Yahwe
5 Linga zwitjaba ubone!
Ngono ukaabale! Udzidzibale!
Ngoti ndowoshinga tjimwe mu mazhuba awo,
tjausingawogalamoyo,
nenguba ungabe watjibudziwa.
6 Ndomilidza Bakhaladiya,
bathu ibabaje banotjisa bana majatu,
banoyenda shango yose
betapa magalo asiabo.
7 Banotjisa kakale banotjika,
banozwithamigwa nlayo nge kwabo,
banolumbidza gudzo labo.
8 Mbizi dzabo dzina lubilo kupinda dindingwe,
banotjisa kupinda phele mu zhalima,
mbizi dzabo dzomatha ha dzinginilila.
Batathi badzo banodwa kule,
banowuluka se dzu lidzamulila kunoja.
9 Banozha bose bezhila phipiti,
bedwilila bakalinga mbeli
bekubunganya batapiwa bangapa nsetje nge bunji.
10 Banokuwelela bomambo,
bakadadila babusi.
Banoseka mizi mikulu yose ye matizhilo yakasima,
bebe bebaka matuluthulu e mavu beitapa.
11 Ipapo bebe bepinda se phepo bedwilila,
bana nlandu, ibo banoti simba labo ndzimu wabo.
Habakuku unong'ong'ola kakale
12 Imwi Yahwe apa amuzobepo kudwa ntolo tjose kene?
Ndzimu wangu, Nyengemali wangu, iswi atitowofa.
Imwi Yahwe makabatjwayila kusumikilisiwa,
Imwi Shongwe makabashalulila kulobgwa shamu.
13 Mesho enyu mabuyanana kwaasakafanila kulinga mbipo,
amungaletjedzele tjisiitjo tjishingikala.
Ini ngono mu letjedzela batjebeli?
Munyelelileni babiibi
belobesa bakalulwama kubapinda saikoku wali?
14 Makathama bathu bakanga hwobe dze gungwa,
bakanga zwibumbiwa zwe gungwa zwisina mbusi.
15 Tjita tjibi tjobakweba bose nge zwiweko,
tjobabhatshila nge gwanga gwatjo,
unowobakubunganya mu dandi lile,
ndizo ebe eshatha eshongozhela.
16 Ndizo wali ebe edusila zwibhayilo gwanga gugwe
ebe episila dandi lile motsha,
ngoti gwanga gugwe go ntjidzila mu ipepkhwe
eguta zojiwa zwinozipa.
17 Apa unowodwilila emola gwanga gugwe,
elobesa zwitjaba asina ngoni tjatjose kene?
1 I am Habakkuk the prophet. And this is the message that the Lord gave me.
Habakkuk Complains to the Lord
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.
The Lord Answers Habakkuk
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,
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.
11 Then suddenly they disappear
like a gust of wind—
those sinful people who worship
their own strength.
Habakkuk Complains Again
12 Holy Lord God, mighty rock,
you are eternal,
and we are safe from death.
You are using those Babylonians
to judge and punish others.
13 But you can't stand sin or wrong.
So don't sit by in silence
while they gobble up 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?