< Habakuk 2 >

1 Manɔ nye gbetakpɔƒe tame, eye matsi tsitre ɖe nye xɔta; mada ŋku ɖi akpɔ nu si wòagblɔ atsɔ aɖo nye biabia ŋui.
Upon my watch-tower, will I stand, and will station myself upon the bulwark, —so will I keep outlook, to see—what he will speak with me, and what I shall reply, when I am reproved.
2 Yehowa ɖo eŋu nam be: “Ŋlɔ ɖeɖefia la da ɖi. Ŋlɔe ɖe nuŋlɔkpe dzi eme nakɔ ale be woate ŋu axlẽe bɔbɔe.
Then Yahweh answered me, and said, Write the vision, Yea, make it plain on tablets, that one may swiftly read it;
3 Elabena azãgbe li na ɖeɖefia la elabena eƒo nu tso nuwuwu si le vava ge la ŋuti eye mada le edzi o; ke ne ehe ɖe megbe hã la, lalae elabena ava eme godoo, mada le edzi o.
For yet is the vision for an appointed time, still, it presseth towards an end, and will not deceive, —if it tarry, wait thou for it, for it, surely cometh, —will not be too late.
4 “Nye kɔ nàkpɔ dadala la ɖa; nu dzɔdzɔe wɔwɔ aɖeke mele eya amea me o; ke ame dzɔdzɔe anɔ agbe to eƒe xɔse me.
Lo! as for the conceited one, crooked is his soul within him, - but, one who is righteous, by his faithfulness, shall live.
5 Gawu la, wain ɖe hae, edoa eɖokui ɖe dzi eye medzea kɔ anyi o. Elabena ele abe yɔdo si nu meɖia kɔ na o ene eye wògale abe ku si nu meɖia ƒo na o ene. Eƒo dukɔwo katã nu ƒu na eɖokui eye wòdo kluvi amewo katã. (Sheol h7585)
Moreover also, when wine betrayeth, a man, is arrogant, and findeth no rest, —because he hath enlarged, like hades, his desire, yea, he, is like death, and cannot be satisfied, —but hath gathered unto himself, all the nations, and assembled unto himself, all the peoples. (Sheol h7585)
6 “Ɖe amewo katã maɖia wo nu, aɖe alɔme le wo ŋu, ako wo ahagblɔ be: “‘Baba na ame si li kɔ nu siwo wofi ɖi eye wòwɔ eɖokui kesinɔtɔe to amebaba me. Ɣe ka ɣie nu siawo ayi edzi ase ɖo?’
Shall not, these, all of them, against him, take up—a taunt, a mocking poem, enigmatical sentences—concerning him? And say—Alas! for him who maketh abundance in what is not his own, How long? that he should be burdening himself with heavy debts?
7 Ɖe wò fetɔwo matso ɖe ŋuwò kpata, ɖe womanyɔ ado ŋɔdzi na wò oa? Ekema àva zu woƒe nuhaha.
Will not thy creditors, suddenly rise up? and they who shall violently shake thee, all at once become active? Then shalt thou serve for booties, unto them!
8 Esi mieha dukɔ geɖewo ta la ame siwo susɔ la aha miawo hã elabena miekɔ ʋu ɖi eye mietstrɔ̃ anyigbawo, duwo kple ame siwo le wo me.
Because, thou, hast plundered many nations, all the residue of the peoples, shall plunder thee, —for shedding Human blood, and doing violence to the earth, to the city, and to all who dwell therein.
9 “Baba na ame si tu sã to amebaba me, ne yeawɔ nɔƒe ɖe dziƒo ke be yeasi le gbegblẽ nu.
Alas! for him who extorteth an extortion of wrong for his own house, —that he may set on high his nest, that he may be delivered from the grasp of calamity.
10 Ame geɖewo ƒe tsɔtsrɔ̃ tso mia gbɔ eya ta miedo ŋukpe miawo ŋutɔ ƒe aƒe, miebu miawo ŋutɔ ƒe agbe.
Thou hast counseled shame to thy house—making an end of many peoples, and endangering thine own life.
11 Kpe siwo wotsɔ tu miaƒe xɔwoe gɔ̃ hã ado ɣli ɖe mia ta eye ati siwo wotsɔ wɔ dzisasãwo la hã aɖe gbeƒã nya siwo kpeawo gblɔ.
Surely, the stone out of the wall, will make outcry, —and, the tie out of the timber, will answer it.
12 “Baba na mi, mi ame siwo wu amewo eye miexɔ ga le amewo si tsɔ tso hlɔ̃dodui.
Alas! for him who buildeth a city with deeds of blood, —and establisheth a town with perversity.
13 Ɖe Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la meɖoe be amewo ƒe agbagbadzedzewo katã nabi le dzo me eye dukɔwo naka hiã wo ɖokui dzodzro oa?
Lo! is it not from Yahweh of hosts—that peoples labour for fire, and, populations, for emptiness, weary themselves?
14 Ke anyigba dzi ayɔ fũu kple sidzedze Yehowa ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe abe ale si tsi yɔ atsiaƒu mee ene.
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh, —as, the waters, cover the sea.
15 “Baba na ame si na aha ehavi wòno eye wòku wain na ehavi wòno va se ɖe esime wòmu be yeakpɔ eƒe amame.
Alas! for him who causeth his neighbour to drink, from the goblet of thy fury, and also, making him drunk, —to the end thou mayest gloat over their parts of shame.
16 Azɔ eɖo wò hã dziwò. Noe nàɖe amama eye ŋukpe nava dziwò le ŋutikɔkɔeteƒe. Kplu si Yehowa lé ɖe eƒe nuɖusime la gbɔna gbɔwò eye ŋukpe atsyɔ wò ŋutikɔkɔe dzi.
Thou art sated with contempt, more than glory, drink, thou too, and expose thy person, —the cup of the right hand of Yahweh, shall come round unto thee, and ignominious filth be upon thy glory;
17 Nu vlo si nèwɔ Lebanon la ava ƒo ɖe wò hã dziwò. Lã siwo katã nètsrɔ̃ la ado ŋɔdzi na wò elabena èkɔ ʋu ɖi eye nètsrɔ̃ anyigba kple duwo kple wo me nɔlawo katã.
For, the violence [done] to Lebanon, shall cover thee, and wasting by wild beasts shall cause them terror, —for shedding Human blood, and doing violence to the earth, to the city, and to all who dwell therein.
18 “Viɖe kae le legba si ame li la ŋuti alo aklamakpakpɛ si daa alakpa la ŋuti? Ame si wɔe la tsɔ eƒe mɔkpɔkpɔ da ɖe nu si eya ŋutɔ wɔ la dzi elabena ewɔ legba siwo mate ŋu aƒo nu o.
What hath a carved image, profited, though the fashioner thereof, carved it? a molten image, and a teacher of falsehood, —though the fashioner of his fashioned thing trusted therein? that men should make Dumb Nonentities!
19 Baba na ame si gblɔ na atikpakpɛ be, ‘Gbɔ agbe!’ Alo na kpe si me agbe mele o be, ‘Nyɔ!’ Ɖe wòate ŋu afia mɔ amea? Wotsɔ sika kple klosalo ɖo atsyɔ̃ nɛ gake agbegbɔgbɔ mele eme o.”
Alas! for him who saith to wood, Awake, bestir thee! to a silent stone, he, shall teach! Though he is overlaid with gold and silver, yet, no spirit whatsoever, is in him!
20 Ke Yehowa le eƒe gbedoxɔ kɔkɔe la me, xexea me katã nazi ɖoɖoe le eŋkume.
Howbeit, Yahweh, is in his holy temple, —Hush before him, all the earth.

< Habakuk 2 >