1 Ndowotatha ngadzi yangu,
ama pezhugwi kwayo,
ndowolindila kubona tjabanowondidwa
ne dabilo yandinowopa nge kung'ong'ola kwangu.
Dabilo ya Yahwe
2 Yahwe bakandidabila beti,
“Kwala mbono
itjeneseke mu zwileiti
ndizo abale akalabuka.
3 Ngoti mbono imilile tjibaka tjakabigwa,
inoleba ngekwe bhelelo
aingabe manyepkhwa.
Kene inonoka uimilile,
nge malebeswa inowozha aitowononoka.
4 “Bona, iye unozwikudza,
njemulo dzidze adzizolulwama,
koga nlulwami unowotjila nge kugalamoyo kukwe.
5 Nge malebeswa nkumbi we zhambi unonlasha,
unozwikudza aatodzikama.
Hwulo dzidze dzakaashama se ikumbu,
unonga lufu aatotongo guta.
Unokubunganyila zwitjaba zose kunli
ebe etapa bathu bose.
6 “Apa bose ibaba bathu abatowonkuwelela bendadila benlengudza beti,
‘Yee mme wee ku kuli iwe unozwikubunganyila thundu yakwibiwa
uzwithama nfumi nge kutjebela!
Kowotola tjibaka tjingapani ikoku kushingikala?’
7 Apa baunokolota abatomilika tjinyolotjo kene?
Apa abatowomilika bakathama kuti uteteme kene?
Ipapo unowobe wabe tjabhakhwa ndibo.
8 Ngoti iwe wakatapila zwitjaba zwinjinji,
bathu bose bakasala banowokutapila.
Kana wakatebula malopa,
wakakolomodza shango ne mizi
ne mmwe ne mmwe muili.
9 “Yee mme wee ku kuli iwe unobaka bushe gugo nge zwe butjebeli
ubaka magalo awo se shaka pezhugwizhugwi
kutizha mbatsha dzingakuwila.
10 Wakalukila gwanga kulobesa bathu banjinji,
ubhatisa shoni ng'umba iyo uzwitenganyila tjibuya nge tjibiibi.
11 Mabgwe akabaka guma anowomimila,
ngono mbalilo dzowodabila.
12 “Yee mme wee, kuna unobaka nzi nkulu ngotebula malopa,
ebe ebumba nzi nge jinyo.
13 Apa akutodwa muna Yahwe Masimbawose
kuti nshingo we maboko e bathu ube tjinothutidza moto kene?
Kuti zwitjaba zozwinyadzila suli kene?
14 Koga shango inowozhala zibo ye gudzo la Yahwe
se vula yakadzinga gungwa.
15 “Yee mme wee, iwe unopa babakidzani babo tjing'o,
ubadilila kuswikila belaladza
kuti ndizo ulinge mbujo dzabo.
16 Unowobe ne shoni dze kulingigwa pasi pana kuti ukudziwe.
Tjing'wa iwe ulaladze utshatsharike.
Bhepe limu luboko gwe luji gwa Yahwe
laswika ku kuli ngono shoni dzowombadza gudzo lilo.
17 Ngoti thapatapa yawakathamila Lebanoni inowokukulila
ne kubulaya phuka kwawakathama kowozhisa kutja mukuli.
Ngoti wakatebula malopa e bathu,
wakakolomodza shango ne mizi mikulu ukabulaya mmwe ne mmwe muili.
18 Apa ifano tjina nshingo weni se kuli kuthu kwakathamiwa nge nthu?
Kene ifano tjinodiya manyepkhwa tjobhatsha ngeni kene?
Kana watjithama unogalabgwe muna tjaathama iye,
nenguba tjaathama tjili ifano koga tjisingake tjikalebeleka.
19 “Yee mme wee, kuna unodwa lukuni eti, ‘Muka!’
Kene edwa bgwe lisingatjile eti, ‘Milika!’
Apa tjingalaya kene?
Tjakadzulugwa nge golide ne siliva,
akuna meya ye kufema mutjili.
20 Koga Yahwe bamu Ng'umba yabo yakayengemala,
shango yose ngainyalale mbeli kwabo.”
The Lord Answers Habakkuk Again
1 While standing guard
on the watchtower,
I waited for the Lord's answer,
before explaining the reason
for my complaint.
2 Then the Lord told me:
“I will give you my message
in the form of a vision.
Write it clearly enough
to be read at a glance.
3 At the time I have decided,
my words will come true.
You can trust what I say
about the future.
It may take a long time,
but keep on waiting—
it will happen!
4 “I, the Lord, refuse to accept
anyone who is proud.
Only those who live by faith
are acceptable to me.”
Trouble for Evil People
5 Wine is treacherous,
and arrogant people
are never satisfied.
They are no less greedy
than death itself—
they open their mouths as wide
as the world of the dead
and swallow everyone.
6 But they will be mocked
with these words:
You're doomed!
You stored up stolen goods
and cheated others
of what belonged to them.
7 But without warning,
those you owe
will demand payment.
Then you will become
a frightened victim.
8 You robbed cities and nations
everywhere on earth
and murdered their people.
Now those who survived
will be as cruel to you.
9 You're doomed!
You made your family rich
at the expense of others.
You even said to yourself,
“I'm above the law.”
10 But you will bring shame
on your family
and ruin to yourself
for what you did to others.
11 The very stones and wood
in your home
will testify against you.
12 You're doomed! You built a city
on crime and violence.
13 But the Lord All-Powerful
sends up in flames
what nations and people
work so hard to gain.
14 Just as water fills the sea,
the land will be filled
with people who know
and honor the Lord.
15 You're doomed!
You get your friends drunk,
just to see them naked.
16 Now you will be disgraced
instead of praised.
The Lord will make you drunk,
and when others see you naked,
you will lose their respect.
17 You destroyed trees and animals
on Mount Lebanon;
you were ruthless to towns
and people everywhere.
Now you will be terrorized.
Idolatry Is Foolish
18 What is an idol worth?
It's merely a false god.
Why trust a speechless image
made from wood or metal
by human hands?
19 What can you learn from idols
covered with silver or gold?
They can't even breathe.
Pity anyone who says to an idol
of wood or stone,
“Get up and do something!”
20 Let all the world be silent—
the Lord is present
in his holy temple.