< Habakuk 1 >

1 Esiae nye gbedeasi si va na Nyagblɔɖila Habakuk.
The oracle of which Habakkuk the prophet, had 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 Yahweh, have I called out, and thou wouldst not hear me? Have I kept crying unto thee of violence, and thou wouldst 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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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 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.
7 Ŋɔdzi kple vɔvɔ̃ le wo ŋu; wowɔa nu si dze woawo ŋutɔ ŋu; wodoa wo ɖokuiwo ɖe dzi.
Awful and fearful, is he, —from himself, his decision and his uprising, proceed.
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.
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.
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.
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;
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!
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!
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, hath he become arrogant in spirit, and hath committed excess, and so is guilty, —this his violence, is due to his 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.
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:
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?
[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?
14 Èwɔ amewo le abe lã siwo le atsiaƒu me kple nu gbagbe siwo le atsiaƒu me kplɔla meli na o ene.
So wouldst thou have made Men, like the fishes of the sea, —like the creeping thing that hath no ruler over it:
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.
All of which, with a hook, one bringeth up, raketh together with his drag, and hath gathered with his net, —
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.
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!
17 Ɖe nàɖe mɔ be woanɔ ɖɔdada dzi ahatsrɔ̃ dukɔwo nublanuimakpɔtɔea?
Shall he, on this account, empty his net? And, the continual slaying of nations, deem to be no pity?

< Habakuk 1 >