Abakuki 1
1 Tala liloba oyo mosakoli Abakuki azwaki na emoniseli:
The prophecy which Habakkuk the prophet foresaw.
2 Oh Yawe, kino tango nini nasengeli kobelela Yo mpo ete osunga, kasi ozali koyoka te? Nazali koganga epai na Yo: « Minyoko eleki! » kasi ozali kaka kobikisa te!
How long, O Lord, have I entreated [thee], and thou wouldst not hear? [how long] shall I cry out unto thee [because of] violence, and thou wilt not save?
3 Mpo na nini ozali kolakisa ngai makambo mabe ya boye? Mpo na nini ozali kosala eloko moko te? Liboso na ngai, nazali kaka komona libebi mpe makambo mabe, bato bazali kaka koswana mpe kofundana.
Why wilt thou let me see wickedness, and wilt look on trouble, and the robbery and violence [that are] before me: while there is strife, and contention lifteth up [its head]?
4 Yango wana bato bazali kotosa lisusu mibeko te, bazali kokata lisusu makambo na bosembo te. Bato mabe bazali kolonga liboso ya bato ya sembo, makambo ezali lisusu kokatama na bosembo te.
Therefore is the law powerless, and justice cometh not forth victorious; for the wicked encompasseth about the righteous; therefore doth justice come forth perverted.
5 Botala nanu malamu bikolo mosusu mpe bokokamwa penza, pamba te nakosala likambo moko na tango na bino, likambo oyo bokondima te soki bayebisi bino yango.
Look ye about among the nations, and behold and be astonished and astounded; for [God] will fulfill a work in your days, ye would not believe it, if it were only told you.
6 Nakotindela bino bato ya Babiloni, bato ya mitema mabe, oyo bayokelaka bato mawa te: batambolaka mokili mobimba mpo na kobotola bato bisika na bango ya losambo na makasi.
For, lo, I will raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and impetuous nation, that march to the wide spaces of the earth to conquer dwelling-places that are not theirs.
7 Bazali bato ya somo mpe bato oyo babangisaka, basalaka makambo nyonso oyo bazali na yango posa, mpe moto moko te amekaka kotelemela bango.
Terrible and dreadful are they: from themselves go forth their judicial laws and their dignity.
8 Bampunda na bango ekimaka mbangu koleka ata nkoyi, ezalaka na kanda makasi koleka ata mbwa ya zamba oyo ebimaka na pokwa mpo na koluka nyama ya kolia. Basoda na bango oyo batambolaka likolo ya bampunda batambolaka mbangu makasi mpe bawutaka mosika penza, bapumbwaka lokola mpongo soki ezali kokita na elulu mpo na kokanga nyama ya kolia.
And swifter than leopards are their horses, and fiercer than the evening wolves; and their horsemen spread themselves abroad: and their horsemen will come from afar; they will fly like the eagle hastening to eat.
9 Bango nyonso bayaka nzela moko mpo na kotia mobulu, bakendaka kaka liboso lokola mopepe ya este, bazwaka bakangami ebele ndenge balokotaka mbuma ya zelo.
They all will come for violence: the front of their faces is like the east wind, and they gather captives as the sand.
10 Batiolaka bakonzi mpe basekaka bakambi, basekaka bingumba batonga makasi, batondisaka mabele pembeni ya bamir mpo ete bamata likolo na yango mpe bakota na engumba mpo na kobotola yango,
And they will make sport with kings, and princes will be a play unto them: at every strong-hold will they laugh, and they will cast up earth-mounds and capture it.
11 balekaka lokola mopepe mpe bakobaka nzela na bango, basepelaka kosala mabe, mpe makasi na bango nde ezali nzambe na bango.
Then doth their spirit become arrogant, and they are surpassingly proud, and offend, [imputing] this their power unto their god.
12 Boni, ozali Yawe te wuta na ebandeli? Ozali Nzambe na ngai, Mosantu na ngai, okufaka te. Oh Yawe, oponaki bango mpo na kosambisa biso; mpe Yo Libanga na ngai, olendisaki bango mpo na kopesa biso etumbu.
Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? we shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O Protector, thou hast appointed them to correct [nations].
13 Miso na Yo ezali peto koleka, okoki kotala mabe te. Mpo na nini ozali kotala makambo mabe? Mpo na nini ozali kotala bato mabe na miso? Mpo na nini ovandi kimia wana bato mabe bazali konyokola bato oyo baleki bango na bosembo?
Thou, who art too pure of eyes to behold evil, and canst not look on trouble, wherefore wilt thou look upon those that deal treacherously, be silent when the wicked swalloweth up him that is more righteous than he?
14 Okomisi bato lokola bambisi ya ebale, lokola banyama oyo etambolaka na libumu mpe ezanga mokonzi.
And [why] makest thou men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
15 Moto mabe azwaka yango nyonso na ndobo, akangaka yango na monyama mpe atiaka yango na kitunga. Yango wana asepelaka mpe atondaka na esengo.
All of them he bringeth up with the angle, he draggeth them up in his net, and gathereth them in his drag: therefore he rejoiceth and is glad.
16 Bongo abonzelaka monyama na ye mbeka, atumbelaka kitunga na ye ansa; pamba te na nzela ya monyama mpe ya kitunga na ye, azwaka bambisi ebele mpe bilei ya kitoko.
Therefore he sacrificeth unto his net, and burneth incense unto his drag; because through them is his portion fat, and his food marrowy.
17 Boni, akosepela solo kotika ete monyama na ye ezanga mbisi na kokoba koboma bato na mawa te?
Shall he therefore [always] empty his net, and continually slay nations without sparing?
