Habakkuk 1
1 The oracle of which Habakkuk the prophet, had vision:
Yei ne asɛm a odiyifoɔ Habakuk nya firii Awurade nkyɛn wɔ anisoadehunu mu.
2 How long, O Yahweh, have I called out, and thou wouldst not hear me? Have I kept crying unto thee of violence, and thou wouldst not save?
Ao, Awurade, memfrɛ mmisa mmoa nkɔsi da bɛn, a nso wontie me? Meteam mefrɛ wo, akakabensɛm enti, nanso womma mmɛgye me.
3 Wherefore shouldst thou let me see iniquity, and, wrong, shouldst let me behold, and, force and violence, be straight before me, —and there should have ever been someone who, contention and strife, would uphold?
Adɛn na woma mehwɛ ntɛnkyea? Adɛn enti na wotena bɔne ho? Ɔsɛeɛ ne akakabensɛm da mʼanim, basabasayɛ ne abɛbrɛsɛ atwa me ahyia.
4 For which cause, benumbed is the law, and there is never any going forth of justice, —for, the lawless, doth circumvent the righteous, for which cause, justice doth go forth perverted?
Enti, mmara nyɛ adwuma na atɛntenenee nni baabiara, atirimuɔdenfoɔ aka ateneneefoɔ ahyɛ, enti wɔkyea atemmuo.
5 Behold ye, among the nations, and look around, Yea stand stock still—stare, —for, a work, is being wrought in your days, ye will not believe, when it is recounted.
“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 For, behold me! raising up the Chaldeans, the bitter and headlong nation, —that marcheth to the breadths of the earth, to take possession of habitations, not his.
Mema Babiloniafoɔ asɔre, ɔman a wɔyɛ atirimuɔdenfoɔ ne ntɔkwapɛfoɔ; wɔbufa asase nyinaa so, na wɔfa tenabea a ɛnyɛ wɔn dea.
7 Awful and fearful, is he, —from himself, his decision and his uprising, proceed.
Wɔn ho yɛ hu na nnipa suro wɔn; wɔyɛ wɔn bo so adeɛ, de pɛ animuonyam ma wɔn ho.
8 Then, swifter than leopards, are his horses, and, more sharply they attack, than evening wolves, and forward have leapt his chargers, —Yea, his chargers, from afar, will come in, they will fly as an eagle hath hastened to devour.
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 Solely for violence, will he come, the intent of their faces, is—To the east! And he hath gathered, as the sand, a captive host;
Wɔn nyinaa ba sɛ wɔrebɛyɛ basabasayɛ. Wɔn dɔm pem kɔ wɔn anim te sɛ anweatam so mframa, na wɔtase nneduafoɔ sɛ anwea.
10 And, he, over kings, will make merry, and, nobles, will be a scorn to him: he, at any fortress, will laugh, once he hath heaped up dust, he hath captured it!
Wɔmmmu ahene, wɔdi aman sodifoɔ ho fɛw, na wɔtwee nkuropɔn ho banbɔ denden. Wɔsisi dɔteɛ epie nam so kyekyere atamfoɔ.
11 Then, hath he become arrogant in spirit, and hath committed excess, and so is guilty, —this his violence, is due to his god.
Wɔbɔ hoo te sɛ mframa kɔ wɔn anim. Afɔdifoɔ a wɔn ahoɔden yɛ wɔn nyame.”
12 Art not, thou, from of old, O Yahweh, my God, my Holy One? Thou diest not! O Yahweh, to judgment, hast thou appointed him, and, O Rock, to correction, hast thou devoted him:
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 [Thou] whose eyes are too pure to look with approval on wrong, to respect oppression, canst not endure, —Wherefore, shouldst thou respect the treacherous? Be silent, when the lawless, swalloweth up, one more righteous than he?
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 So wouldst thou have made Men, like the fishes of the sea, —like the creeping thing that hath no ruler over it:
Woama nnipa ayɛ sɛ nsuomnam a ɛwɔ ɛpo mu, te sɛ abɔdeɛ a ɛwɔ ɛpo mu a wonni sodifoɔ.
15 All of which, with a hook, one bringeth up, raketh together with his drag, and hath gathered with his net, —
Ɔtamfoɔ tirimuɔdenfoɔ no de darewa yi wɔn, ɔgu nʼasau de buma wɔn, na afei ɔsɛpɛ ne ho ma nʼani gye.
16 On which account, he is glad and exulteth: on which account, he sacrificeth to his Net, and burneth incense to his Drag; because, thereby, rich, is his portion, and his food—fatness!
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 Shall he, on this account, empty his net? And, the continual slaying of nations, deem to be no pity?
Enti ɔnkɔ so nni nʼasau mu nam, na ɔmfa atirimuɔden nsɛe aman anaa?
