Habakkuk 1
1 Tahmaa Habakkuk mah hnuk ih lok loe hae tiah oh.
This is the burden that Habakkuk the prophet received in a vision:
2 Aw Angraeng, nasetto maw kang kawk moe, kang kawkhaih lok tahngai ai ah na oh han vop? Tha hoi kang kawk naah doeh, nang pahlong ai!
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 Tih hanah kahoih ai hmuen to nang patuek moe, raihaih to nang hnuksak loe? Lomhaih hoi raihaih ka hma ah oh moe, lokpunghaih hoi angzoehhaih to pop.
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 To pongah ukhaih daan loe thazok boeh, toenghaih doeh hmabang caeh thai ai boeh: kasae kami mah katoeng kami to ven khoep pongah, amsoem ai lokcaekhaih to hmacawn lat boeh.
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
5 Sithaw panoek ai kaminawk thungah kaom hmuen to khen oh loe, poek o noek ah! Paroeai dawnrai hoiah om oh; thuih cadoeh, tang han ai ah nangcae ih adung thungah tok ka sak han.
“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 Khenah, tahmenhaih tawn ai, tha patoh hoi toksak koeh acaeng, Khaldian kaminawk to kang thawksak boeh, nihcae loe angmacae ih prae na ai prae kalah to lak hanah, prae thung boih ah caeh o tih.
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 Nihcae loe zit kaom kami ah oh o; nihcae lokcaekhaih hoi ukhaih daan doeh angmacae koeh baktiah ni sak o.
They are dreaded and feared; from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty.
8 Nihcae ih hrang loe kaithlaeng pongah rang o kue moe, aduem bang ih tasui pongah hmawsaeng o kue: hrang angthueng kaminawk loe angthla parai ahmuen hoiah angzoh o, toe nihcae loe moi caa tahmu kazawk baktiah a zawk o tih.
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 Nihcae loe athii longsak hanah angzo o boih tih; nihcae ih mikhmai loe ni angyae bang ih takhi baktiah oh, nihcae mah misong ah naeh ih kaminawk to savuet baktiah angpop o sak.
All of them come bent on violence; their hordes advance like the east wind; they gather prisoners like sand.
10 Siangpahrangnawk to pahnui o thui tih, ukkung angraengnawk doeh khet kamcuk ai ah sah o tih: vangpui thung ih misa pakaahaihnawk to pahnui o thui tih, long tangprih to tapop o ueloe, vangpui to la o tih.
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 To pacoengah a poekhaih to amkhraih ueloe, anghmaa o boih tih; kazae kaminawk loe angmacae thacakhaih to sithaw baktiah pakoeh o.
Then they sweep by like the wind and pass on through. They are guilty; their own strength is their god.”
12 Aw Angraeng kai ih Sithaw, kaciim kai ih Sithaw, nang loe dungzan ah hing na ai maw? Kaicae loe ka dueh o mak ai. Aw Angraeng, lok takroek hanah nihcae to na caksak boeh; Aw thacak Sithaw, nihcae thuitaek hanah na caksak boeh.
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 Na mik loe ciim moe, kasae khet hanah na koeh ai: tipongah aling thaih kaminawk to na khet loe? Tipongah kazae kami mah angmah pong katoeng kaminawk to paaeh naah, na khet sut loe?
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 Tipongah long kaminawk to ukkung tawn ai, tuipui ih tanganawk baktih, zok hoi kavak moinawk baktiah na sak loe?
You have made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler.
15 Misanawk mah nihcae to cakoih hoiah tathok o, palok hoiah naeh o pacoengah, palok pui hoiah a ruet o. To pongah nihcae loe poeknawm o parai moe, anghoe o.
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 To pongah nihcae loe angmacae ih palok khaeah hmuen tathlanghaih to sak o moe, palok pui taengah hmuihoih to a thlaek o, nihcae loe tahamhoih o moe, caaknaek pop parai ah a tawnh o.
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 Nihcae loe palok pong ih tanga to khringh o boih ueloe, tahmenhaih tawn ai ah prae kaminawk to hum o poe tih maw?
Will he, therefore, empty his net and continue to slay nations without mercy?
