Abakuki 1
1 Tala liloba oyo mosakoli Abakuki azwaki na emoniseli:
[I am] Habakkuk, a prophet. This is the [message that Yahweh] gave to me in a vision.
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!
[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 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.
(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 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.
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 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.
[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 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.
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 Bazali bato ya somo mpe bato oyo babangisaka, basalaka makambo nyonso oyo bazali na yango posa, mpe moto moko te amekaka kotelemela bango.
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 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.
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 Bango nyonso bayaka nzela moko mpo na kotia mobulu, bakendaka kaka liboso lokola mopepe ya este, bazwaka bakangami ebele ndenge balokotaka mbuma ya zelo.
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 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,
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 balekaka lokola mopepe mpe bakobaka nzela na bango, basepelaka kosala mabe, mpe makasi na bango nde ezali nzambe na bango.
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 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.
[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 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?
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 Okomisi bato lokola bambisi ya ebale, lokola banyama oyo etambolaka na libumu mpe ezanga mokonzi.
[Do you consider that] we are like fish in the sea, or like other creatures in the sea, that have no ruler?
15 Moto mabe azwaka yango nyonso na ndobo, akangaka yango na monyama mpe atiaka yango na kitunga. Yango wana asepelaka mpe atondaka na esengo.
[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 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.
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 Boni, akosepela solo kotika ete monyama na ye ezanga mbisi na kokoba koboma bato na mawa te?
[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]?”
