Habakuk 1
1 Esiae nye gbedeasi si va na Nyagblɔɖila Habakuk.
This is the burden that Habakkuk the prophet received in a vision:
2 O Yehowa, zi nenie mado ɣli ayɔ wò hafi nàxɔ nam? Medo ɣli yɔ wò ʋuu gake ŋuɖoɖo aɖeke meva o. Nu ka ta medo ɣli be: “Ŋutasesẽ le edzi yim” gake mèɖo xɔname ɖa o.
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 Nu ka ta nèna mele nu vlo wɔwɔ teƒe kpɔm? Nu ka wɔ nèɖe mɔ na nu gbegblẽ wɔwɔ? Elabena gbegblẽ kple ŋutasesẽ le ŋkunye me eye avuwɔwɔ kple dzrewɔwɔ ƒo xlãm.
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 Ŋusẽ megale se la si o eye afiaŋkunɔtsotso bɔ ɖe ʋɔnudrɔ̃ƒewo elabena ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ɖe to ɖe ame dzɔdzɔewo. Eya ta wotsyɔ nu nya dzɔdzɔe dzi.
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
5 Yehowa ɖo eŋu nam be, “Nɔ ŋku lém ɖe dukɔ siwo ƒo xlã wò la ŋuti eye nu si nàkpɔ la awɔ nuku na wò. Mele nane wɔ ge le wò ŋkekewo me esi ne wogblɔe na wò la màxɔe ase o.
“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 Mele Babiloniatɔwo fɔm ɖe te; dukɔ nyanyra ma si wɔa nu kabakaba tamemabumabutɔe; ame siwo azɔ to anyigba blibo la dzi be woaxɔ nɔƒe siwo menye wo tɔ o.
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 Ŋɔdzi kple vɔvɔ̃ le wo ŋu; wowɔa nu si dze woawo ŋutɔ ŋu; wodoa wo ɖokuiwo ɖe dzi.
They are dreaded and feared; from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty.
8 Woƒe sɔwo ƒua du wu lãkle, eye wonyrana wu amegaxi le zã me. Woƒe asrafo sɔdolawo lũna ɖe nu dzi kple kalẽ; ɖeɖi metea woƒe sɔdolawo ŋu o. Wosaa agba le futɔwo dzi abe hɔ̃ si di be yeaƒo nu ene.
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 Woƒe tameɖoɖo koe nye be woagblẽ nu. Woƒe amehawo gbɔna kple du abe yaƒoƒo kple dzo sesẽ le dzogbe ene, ne woalé aboyomewo woasɔ gbɔ fũu abe ƒutake ene.
All of them come bent on violence; their hordes advance like the east wind; they gather prisoners like sand.
10 Woɖua fewu le fiawo kple dumegãwo ŋuti eye woɖea alɔme le woƒe mɔ sesẽwo ŋuti. Ɖeko woƒua kpo ɖe woƒe gli sesẽwo ŋuti eye woxɔa dua!
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 Emegbe wohona dzona abe ya si ƒo va yi la ene gake woƒe nu vɔ̃ do agba ɖe wo dzi elabena wotsɔ woƒe ŋusẽ wɔ woƒe mawue.”
Then they sweep by like the wind and pass on through. They are guilty; their own strength is their god.”
12 O Yehowa, mèli tso mavɔ me ke oa? Nye Mawu, nye Kɔkɔetɔ la maku o. O Yehowa, wòe tia wo be woadrɔ̃ ʋɔnu mí. O Agakpe, wòe ɖo wo be woahe to na mí.
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 Wò ŋkuwo dza ale gbegbe be màte ŋu akpɔ nu vɔ̃ɖi o eye màte ŋu alɔ̃ nu gbegblẽ hã o; ke nu ka tae nèɖe mɔ wole nu tovo wɔm? Nu ka ta nèzi kpi ame vɔ̃ɖiwo mi ame siwo le dzɔdzɔe wu wo?
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 Èwɔ amewo le abe lã siwo le atsiaƒu me kple nu gbagbe siwo le atsiaƒu me kplɔla meli na o ene.
You have made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler.
15 Futɔ vɔ̃ɖi la ɖe wo katã ɖe go kple ƒu. Eda ɖɔ na wo eye wòɖe wo ɖe eƒe ɖɔ me eya tae wòle dzidzɔ kpɔm, le aseye tsom ɖo.
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 Esia ta wòsa vɔ na eƒe ɖɔ, eye wòdo dzudzɔ ʋeʋĩ na eƒe asabu, elabena eƒe ɖɔe na wòle agbe vivi ɖum eye nuɖuɖu damiwo le eƒe akɔme.
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 Ɖe nàɖe mɔ be woanɔ ɖɔdada dzi ahatsrɔ̃ dukɔwo nublanuimakpɔtɔea?
Will he, therefore, empty his net and continue to slay nations without mercy?
