Abacuc 1
1 Oracolo che ebbe in visione il profeta Abacuc.
[I am] Habakkuk, a prophet. This is the [message that Yahweh] gave to me in a vision.
2 Fino a quando, Signore, implorerò e non ascolti, a te alzerò il grido: «Violenza!» e non soccorri?
[I said, ] “Yahweh, how long must I continue to call [to you] for help before you respond? I cry out to you [for help], saying that [people are acting] violently [everywhere], but you do not rescue us!
3 Perché mi fai vedere l'iniquità e resti spettatore dell'oppressione? Ho davanti rapina e violenza e ci sono liti e si muovono contese.
(Must I/I do not want to) continue seeing people doing what is unjust [RHQ]. Why do you not punish people who are doing what is wrong [RHQ]? I see people destroying things and [acting] violently. There is fighting and quarreling [everywhere].
4 Non ha più forza la legge, nè mai si afferma il diritto. L'empio infatti raggira il giusto e il giudizio ne esce stravolto.
No one obeys laws [PRS], and judges [PRS] never do what is fair/just. Wicked people always defeat righteous people [in the courts], with the result that matters are never decided fairly/justly.”
5 Guardate fra i popoli e osservate, inorridite e ammutolite: c'è chi compirà ai vostri giorni una cosa che a raccontarla non sarebbe creduta.
[Yahweh replied to me, ] “[I know that what you say is true, but] look around at [what is happening in] the other nations; [if you look, ] you will be amazed, because I am doing something during this time that you would not believe [would happen], even if someone told you about it.
6 Ecco, io faccio sorgere i Caldei, popolo feroce e impetuoso, che percorre ampie regioni per occupare sedi non sue.
The soldiers of Babylonia are fierce/cruel and swift. And now I am causing them [to become very powerful]; they will march across the world and conquer [many] other countries.
7 Egli è feroce e terribile, da lui esce il suo diritto e la sua grandezza.
They are people whom [others] fear very much [DOU], and they do whatever they want to, paying no attention to the laws of other countries.
8 Più veloci dei leopardi sono i suoi cavalli, più agili dei lupi della sera. Balzano i suoi destrieri, venuti da lontano, volano come aquila che piomba per divorare.
The horses [that pull their chariots] go faster than leopards, and they are fiercer than wolves are in the evening. The horses on which the soldiers ride gallop swiftly; the soldiers riding them come from distant places. They are like [SIM] eagles that swoop down to [snatch and] kill small animals.
9 Tutti avanzano per la rapina. La loro faccia è infuocata come il vento d'oriente, ammassano i prigionieri come la sabbia.
As they ride along, [they are] determined to act violently. They advance like [SIM] a wind from the desert, gathering prisoners that are as [numerous as grains of] sand.
10 Egli dei re si fa beffe, e dei capi si ride; si fa gioco di ogni fortezza, assale una città e la conquista.
They make fun of kings and princes [of other countries], and they ridicule all the cities that have high walls around them. They pile dirt [outside those walls] [in order to climb up] and capture those cities.
11 Poi muta corso il vento: passa e paga il fio. Questa la potenza del mio Dio!
They rush past like the wind, and then they go [to attack other cities]. But they are very guilty, because [they think that] their own power is their god.”
12 Non sei tu fin da principio, Signore, il mio Dio, il mio Santo? Noi non moriremo, Signore. Tu lo hai scelto per far giustizia, l'hai reso forte, o Roccia, per castigare.
[Then I said, ] “Yahweh, you have certainly [RHQ] always/forever been God. You are my Holy One; you will not die. So [why] have you appointed those men [from Babylonia] to judge and get rid of [us]? You are like [MET] a huge rock [under which we are protected/safe], so why have you sent them to punish us?
13 Tu dagli occhi così puri che non puoi vedere il male e non puoi guardare l'iniquità, perchè, vedendo i malvagi, taci mentre l'empio ingoia il giusto?
You [SYN] are pure, and you cannot endure looking at what is evil, [so why] are you ignoring men who are treacherous? Why do you do nothing [to punish] those wicked men [from Babylonia] who destroy people who are more righteous than they [are]?
14 Tu tratti gli uomini come pesci del mare, come un verme che non ha padrone.
[Do you consider that] we are like fish in the sea, or like other creatures in the sea, that have no ruler?
15 Egli li prende tutti all'amo, li tira su con il giacchio, li raccoglie nella rete, e contento ne gode.
[The soldiers of Babylonia think that we are fish] [RHQ] for them to pull out of the sea with hooks or to catch in their nets, while they rejoice and celebrate.
16 Perciò offre sacrifici alla sua rete e brucia incenso al suo giacchio, perchè fanno grassa la sua parte e succulente le sue vivande.
If they catch us, they will [worship] their weapons [MET] with which they captured us, and offer sacrifices to them and burn incense in front of them! [They will say] ‘Those weapons have enabled us to become rich and be able to eat expensive food.’
17 Continuerà dunque a vuotare il giacchio e a massacrare le genti senza pietà?
[Will you allow] them to continue [to conquer people] [MET] forever? [Will you allow] them to destroy people of other nations without their being merciful [to anyone]?”
