< Habakuk 1 >

1 Nke a bụ ozi Habakuk onye amụma natara.
This is the message that Habakkuk saw in vision.
2 Onyenwe anyị, ruo ole mgbe ka m ga-anọgide na-eti mkpu ma ị dịghị ege ntị? Ruo ole mgbe ka m ga na-etiku gị na-asị, “Ihe ike, ihe ike!” ma ị dịghị azọpụta?
Lord, how long do I have to cry out for help and you don't listen? I cry out, “Violence!” but you don't save us from it.
3 Nʼihi gịnị ka i ji eme m ka m na-ahụ ihe ọjọọ? Gịnị mere i ji anagide mmegbu? Mbibi na ihe ike dị nʼihu m, na ịlụ ọgụ, na esemokwu jupụtakwara ebe niile.
Why do you force me to see this wickedness and suffering? Why do you just observe such destruction and violence? Arguments and fighting happen right in front of me!
4 Nʼihi ya, iwu na-ada mba, ikpe ziri ezi adịghị agakwa nʼihu. Ndị ajọ mmadụ na-agba ndị ezi omume gburugburu, nke mere ka ikpe ziri ezi ghọọ ihe gbagọrọ agbagọ.
As a result the law is paralyzed, and justice never wins. The wicked crowd out those who do right so that the course of justice is perverted.
5 “Legide mba niile anya, ka i hụ. Lee, ka o ju gị anya nke ukwuu. Nʼihi na agaje m ime ihe nʼụbọchị ndụ unu, nke unu na-agaghị ekwenye, ọ bụladị ma akọọrọ unu ya.
Look around at the nations, watch and be surprised and amazed. Something is going to happen in your time that you wouldn't believe even if you were told.
6 Nʼihi na lee, agaje m ime ka ndị Kaldịa bilie, bụ mba ahụ na-adịghị eme ebere, na ndị na-eme ngwangwa. Ha bụ ndị na-ebu agha na-ejegharị na mba niile, ndị na-esite nʼaka ike na-enweta ebe obibi nke na-abụghị nke ha.
Watch! I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and brutal people who will march across the world to seize other lands.
7 Ha bụ mba a na-atụ ụjọ, na ndị dịkwa egwu. Ha bụ iwu nye onwe ha, ihe ha tụpụtara ka ha na-eme. Ọ bụ onwe ha ka ha na-ebuli elu.
They are fearsome and terrifying, and so proud of themselves that they set their own rules.
8 Ịnyịnya ha nwere ụkwụ nkọ karịa agụ. Ha na-akpa ike karịa nkịta ọhịa nke na-ejegharị nʼanyasị. Ndị ịnyịnya agha ha na-awụ ọsọ, ndị ha na-agba ịnyịnya na-esitekwa ebe dị anya na-abịa. Dịka ugo nke na-efedata i buru nri ọ ga-eri.
Their horses are faster than leopards and fiercer than hungry wolves. Their cavalry charges, racing in from far away. Like eagles, they swoop down to eat their prey.
9 Ha niile na-abịa ime ihe ike. Ha ji ọsọ na-abịa dịka oke ifufe nke ọzara. Ha na-abịa ịchịkọta ndị a dọtara nʼagha dịka ha bụ uzuzu.
Here they come, all intent on violence. Their armies advance in frontal assault as rapidly as the desert wind, capturing so many prisoners they are like sand.
10 Ha na-akwa ndị eze emo, jirikwa ndịisi ọchịchị na-eme ihe ọchị. Ha na-achị ebe niile e wusiri ike ọchị, na-ekpokọtakwa aja nʼazụ mgbidi niile ịlụta ha nʼagha.
They mock kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh in scorn at fortresses—they pile up earth ramps and capture them.
11 Mgbe ahụ, ha na-esi nʼebe ahụ gabiga dịka ifufe, na-agabigakwa ndị mehierenụ, bụrụkwa ndị ikpe mara, ndị ike ha bụ chi ha.”
Then they sweep on by like the wind and are gone. They are guilty because their own strength is their god.
12 Onyenwe anyị, Ọ bụ na ị dịghị site mgbe niile ebighị ebi? Chineke m, na Onye Nsọ m, Ị gaghị anwụ. Gị, Onyenwe anyị, họpụtara ha maka ikpe ikpe. Gị, oke nkume m, emeela ka ha bụrụ ndị ga-enweta ahụhụ.
Haven't you existed from eternity past? You are Lord my God, my Holy One, you do not die. Lord, you appointed them to execute judgment; God our Rock, you sent them to punish us.
13 Ma anya gị dị ọcha nke ukwuu, na ọ dịghị elekwasị ajọ ihe anya; ị naghị anabatakwa mmegbu. Ma gịnị mere i ji gba ndị aghụghọ nkịtị? Gịnị mere i ji gba nkịtị mgbe ndị ajọ omume na-eloda ndị bụ ndị ezi omume karịa ha?
Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil; you cannot stand the sight of wrong. So why do you put up with untrustworthy people? Why are you silent when the wicked destroy those who do less evil than they do?
14 I meela ndị mmadụ ka ha dịrị ka azụ nke osimiri, e, dịka anụ na-akpụ akpụ nke oke osimiri, nke na-enweghị onye na-achị ha.
You make people become like fish in the sea, or like crawling insects, that have no ruler.
15 Onye iro nke ajọ omume juru obi, na-eji nko ya na-egbu ha. Ọ na-ejikwa nko ụgbụ ya na-ejide ha. Ọ na-achịkọta ha nʼụgbụ ya, si otu a na-aṅụrị ọṅụ, ma na-etegharịkwa egwu ọṅụ.
They drag everyone up with hooks, they pull them out with nets, catching them in dragnets. Then they happily celebrate.
16 Nʼihi nke a, ọ na-achụ aja na-esurekwa ihe nsure ọkụ na-esi isi ụtọ nye ụgbụ ya, nʼihi na ọ bụ ụgbụ ya na-eme ka ọ na-ebi ezi ndụ, na-erikwa nri kachasị mma
They worship their nets as if they were gods, making sacrifices and burning incense to them, because by their nets they live in luxury, eating rich food.
17 Ọ ga-aga nʼihu mgbe niile na-awụpụ ihe o ji ụgbụ ya gbute na-ala mba niile nʼiyi, dịka o si masị ya, na-egosighị obi ebere ọbụla?
Will they keep on unsheathing their swords forever, killing nations without mercy?

< Habakuk 1 >