< Habakuku 1 >

1 Ĩno nĩyo ndũmĩrĩri nditũ ĩrĩa yakinyĩrĩire mũnabii Habakuku.
This is the burden that Habakkuk the prophet received in a vision:
2 Wee Jehova-rĩ, nĩ nginya rĩ ngũtũũra ngũkayagĩra ũndeithie, no wee ũkaaga kũnjigua? Githĩ ndigũkayagĩra ngiugaga, “Haaro! Haaro!” no wee ũkaaga kũhonokania?
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 Ũtũmaga ndĩrorere wagi wa kĩhooto nĩkĩ? Ũkiragĩrĩria maũndũ mooru nĩkĩ? Mwanangĩko na haaro irĩ mbere yakwa; kũrĩ na njũgitano, nayo mbaara nĩ nyingĩ.
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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, watho nĩmwagithie hinya, na kĩhooto gĩtihootanaga. Andũ arĩa aaganu marigiicaga arĩa athingu, na nĩ ũndũ ũcio kĩhooto gĩkoogomio.
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
5 “Atĩrĩrĩ, ta rorai ndũrĩrĩ na mwĩrorere ũhoro wacio, na mũmake biũ. Nĩgũkorwo matukũ-inĩ maku nĩngwĩka ũndũ ũrĩa ũtangĩĩtĩkia o na ũngĩĩrwo.
“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 Nĩngwarahũra andũ a Babuloni, andũ a haaro, na matarĩ tha, arĩa matuĩkanagia thĩ yothe, na makegwatĩra ciikaro itarĩ ciao.
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 Nĩ andũ a kũmakania, na a gwĩtigĩrwo; nĩo meyathaga, na magetũũgĩria.
They are dreaded and feared; from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty.
8 Mbarathi ciao irĩ ihenya gũkĩra ngarĩ, na nĩ ooru mũno gũkĩra njũũi iria icangacangaga kĩhwaĩ-inĩ. Thigari ciao iria ithiiaga ihaicĩte mbarathi itengʼeraga ta ciũmbũkĩte; ahaici acio a mbarathi moimaga kũndũ kũraya. Mombũkaga ta nderi ĩgĩcuuhũkĩra gĩa kũrĩa;
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 othe mokaga mehaarĩirie kũruta haaro. Thigari icio ciao nyingĩ mũno ithiiaga ihaatĩte ta rũhuho rwa werũ-inĩ, igathiĩ itahĩte andũ aingĩ mũno ta mũthanga.
All of them come bent on violence; their hordes advance like the east wind; they gather prisoners like sand.
10 Manyararaga athamaki, na makanyũrũria andũ arĩa maathanaga. Mathekagĩrĩra matũũra mothe manene marĩa mairigĩre; maakaga ihumbu cia tĩĩri, magatunyana matũũra macio.
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 Ningĩ mahĩtũkagĩra kuo na ihenya o ta rũhuho mathiĩte na mbere: andũ maagararaga watho, magatuĩka ehia, magatua atĩ hinya wao nĩguo ngai yao.”
Then they sweep by like the wind and pass on through. They are guilty; their own strength is their god.”
12 Wee Jehova-rĩ, githĩ ndũtũũraga kuuma tene o na tene? O Wee Ngai wakwa, ũrĩa wakwa mũtheru, tondũ ũcio tũtigakua. Wee Jehova-rĩ, nĩwe ũthuurĩte andũ a Babuloni mahingie ituĩro rĩaku; wee Rwaro rwa Ihiga-rĩ, ũkamaamũra matũherithie.
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 Maitho maku nĩ matheru mũno, matingĩĩrorera ũmaramari; wee-rĩ, ndũngĩkirĩrĩria maũndũ mooru. Ũgĩkiragĩrĩria andũ arĩa oingumania nĩkĩ? Ũkiraga nĩkĩ rĩrĩa andũ arĩa aaganu mekũmeria andũ arĩa athingu kũmakĩra?
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 Ũtuĩte andũ ta thamaki cia iria, ũkamatua ta ciũmbe cia iria-inĩ, iria itarĩ mũciathi.
You have made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler.
15 Thũ ĩyo njaganu ĩmaguucagia othe na ndwano, ĩkamagwatia na wabu wayo, ĩkamacookereria thĩinĩ wa mũtego wayo; nĩ ũndũ ũcio ĩgakena na ĩgacanjamũka.
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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, ĩrutagĩra wabu wayo igongona, na ĩgacinĩra mũtego wayo ũbumba, nĩgũkorwo wabu wayo nĩguo ũtũmaga ĩtũũre ĩĩkenagia, na ĩkarĩĩaga irio iria njega mũno.
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 Ĩĩgũtũũra ĩtahaga na wabu wayo, ĩkaniinaga ndũrĩrĩ ingĩ ĩtegũciguĩra tha?
Will he, therefore, empty his net and continue to slay nations without mercy?

< Habakuku 1 >