Habakkuk 1
1 This is the message that Habakkuk saw in vision.
Yei ne asɛm a odiyifoɔ Habakuk nya firii Awurade nkyɛn wɔ anisoadehunu mu.
2 Lord, how long do I have to cry out for help and you don't listen? I cry out, “Violence!” but you don't save us from it.
Ao, Awurade, memfrɛ mmisa mmoa nkɔsi da bɛn, a nso wontie me? Meteam mefrɛ wo, akakabensɛm enti, nanso womma mmɛgye me.
3 Why do you force me to see this wickedness and suffering? Why do you just observe such destruction and violence? Arguments and fighting happen right in front of me!
Adɛn na woma mehwɛ ntɛnkyea? Adɛn enti na wotena bɔne ho? Ɔsɛeɛ ne akakabensɛm da mʼanim, basabasayɛ ne abɛbrɛsɛ atwa me ahyia.
4 As a result the law is paralyzed, and justice never wins. The wicked crowd out those who do right so that the course of justice is perverted.
Enti, mmara nyɛ adwuma na atɛntenenee nni baabiara, atirimuɔdenfoɔ aka ateneneefoɔ ahyɛ, enti wɔkyea atemmuo.
5 Look around at the nations, watch and be surprised and amazed. Something is going to happen in your time that you wouldn't believe even if you were told.
“Momma ɛnyɛ mo nwanwa, na mo ho nnwiri mo! Merebɛyɛ biribi wɔ mo berɛ so, na sɛ obi ka kyerɛ mo a, morennye nni.
6 Watch! I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and brutal people who will march across the world to seize other lands.
Mema Babiloniafoɔ asɔre, ɔman a wɔyɛ atirimuɔdenfoɔ ne ntɔkwapɛfoɔ; wɔbufa asase nyinaa so, na wɔfa tenabea a ɛnyɛ wɔn dea.
7 They are fearsome and terrifying, and so proud of themselves that they set their own rules.
Wɔn ho yɛ hu na nnipa suro wɔn; wɔyɛ wɔn bo so adeɛ, de pɛ animuonyam ma wɔn ho.
8 Their horses are faster than leopards and fiercer than hungry wolves. Their cavalry charges, racing in from far away. Like eagles, they swoop down to eat their prey.
Wɔn apɔnkɔ ho yɛ herɛ sene asebɔ, na wɔn ho yɛ hu sene pataku a ɔnam anadwo, wɔn apɔnkɔsotefoɔ kɔ wɔn anim mmarima so, wɔfiri akyirikyiri nsase so, na wɔto hoo sɛ akroma a ɔrekɔkye aboa.
9 Here they come, all intent on violence. Their armies advance in frontal assault as rapidly as the desert wind, capturing so many prisoners they are like sand.
Wɔn nyinaa ba sɛ wɔrebɛyɛ basabasayɛ. Wɔn dɔm pem kɔ wɔn anim te sɛ anweatam so mframa, na wɔtase nneduafoɔ sɛ anwea.
10 They mock kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh in scorn at fortresses—they pile up earth ramps and capture them.
Wɔmmmu ahene, wɔdi aman sodifoɔ ho fɛw, na wɔtwee nkuropɔn ho banbɔ denden. Wɔsisi dɔteɛ epie nam so kyekyere atamfoɔ.
11 Then they sweep on by like the wind and are gone. They are guilty because their own strength is their god.
Wɔbɔ hoo te sɛ mframa kɔ wɔn anim. Afɔdifoɔ a wɔn ahoɔden yɛ wɔn nyame.”
12 Haven't you existed from eternity past? You are Lord my God, my Holy One, you do not die. Lord, you appointed them to execute judgment; God our Rock, you sent them to punish us.
Ao, Awurade, wonni hɔ firi tete anaa? Me Onyankopɔn, me Kronkronni, wo a wote ase daa. Ao, Awurade, woapa wɔn sɛ wɔmmu atɛn; Ao Ɔbotantim, woahyɛ wɔn sɛ wɔntwe aso.
13 Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil; you cannot stand the sight of wrong. So why do you put up with untrustworthy people? Why are you silent when the wicked destroy those who do less evil than they do?
Wʼaniwa yɛ kronkron, a wontumi nhwɛ nnebɔne; wonnyegye bɔne so. Na ɛdeɛn enti na wogyegye nnipa kɔntɔnkye so, na ɛdeɛn enti na wayɛ komm wɔ ɛberɛ a atirimuɔdenfoɔ remene ateneneefoɔ?
14 You make people become like fish in the sea, or like crawling insects, that have no ruler.
Woama nnipa ayɛ sɛ nsuomnam a ɛwɔ ɛpo mu, te sɛ abɔdeɛ a ɛwɔ ɛpo mu a wonni sodifoɔ.
15 They drag everyone up with hooks, they pull them out with nets, catching them in dragnets. Then they happily celebrate.
Ɔtamfoɔ tirimuɔdenfoɔ no de darewa yi wɔn, ɔgu nʼasau de buma wɔn, na afei ɔsɛpɛ ne ho ma nʼani gye.
16 They worship their nets as if they were gods, making sacrifices and burning incense to them, because by their nets they live in luxury, eating rich food.
Ne saa enti ɔbɔ afɔdeɛ ma nʼasau na wahye aduhwam ama no, ɛfiri sɛ asau yi so na ɔnam nya ateyie, na ɔdi nʼakɔnnɔ aduane.
17 Will they keep on unsheathing their swords forever, killing nations without mercy?
Enti ɔnkɔ so nni nʼasau mu nam, na ɔmfa atirimuɔden nsɛe aman anaa?
