< Habakuk 1 >

1 Esiae nye gbedeasi si va na Nyagblɔɖila Habakuk.
The prophecy which was revealed to the prophet Habakkuk.
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 Jehovah, do I cry, and thou dost not hear! How long do I complain to thee of violence, and thou dost 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 dost thou suffer me to see iniquity, And why dost thou look upon wickedness? For spoiling and violence are before me; There is contention, and strife exalteth itself.
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 faileth, And judgment is not pronounced according to truth; For the wicked encompasseth the righteous, Therefore wrong judgment is pronounced.
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! Yea, wonder, and be astonished! For I do a work in your days Which ye will not believe though it be 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 raise up the Chaldeans, A fierce and swift people, Which go over the breadth of the earth, To take possession of dwelling-places that are not their own.
7 Ŋɔdzi kple vɔvɔ̃ le wo ŋu; wowɔa nu si dze woawo ŋutɔ ŋu; wodoa wo ɖokuiwo ɖe dzi.
They are terrible and dreadful; From themselves go forth their law and their dignity.
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, And fiercer than evening wolves. Their horsemen leap proudly; Their horsemen come from far; They fly like an eagle, hastening 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 for violence; The multitude of their faces is directed forwards, And they gather captives as 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 also scoff at kings, And princes are to them a laughing-stock; They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earth and take 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 their spirit is uplifted, and they transgress, and become guilty; This their strength is made 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.
Art thou not from everlasting, O Jehovah, my God, my Holy One? We shall not die! Thou, O Jehovah, hast appointed them for judgment; Thou, O Rock, hast ordained them for chastisement.
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 art of purer eyes than to behold evil, And canst not look on wickedness; Why then dost thou look on transgressors, And art silent, when the wicked swalloweth up the man that is 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.
And why makest thou men as the fishes of the sea, As the reptiles 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.
They take up all of them with the hook, They catch them in their net, And gather them in their drag; Therefore they rejoice and exult.
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 they sacrifice to their net, And burn incense to their drag; Because by them their portion is fat, And their food plenteous.
17 Ɖe nàɖe mɔ be woanɔ ɖɔdada dzi ahatsrɔ̃ dukɔwo nublanuimakpɔtɔea?
Shall they therefore empty the net, And slay the nations continually without mercy?

< Habakuk 1 >