Habakuk 2
1 Megyina mʼahwɛe na mawɛn. Mɛbɔ nsra na mahwɛ nea ɔbɛka akyerɛ me, ne mʼanoyi a mede bɛma nkurobɔ yi.
[After I said that, I said to myself, ] “I will climb up into my watchtower, and stand there at my guard post. I will wait there to find out what Yahweh will say, what he will reply to what I have complained about.”
2 Afei, Awurade buae se, “Kyerɛw adiyi yi wɔ ɔbopon so ma mu nna hɔ pefee na ama ɔkenkanfo ate ase.
Then Yahweh replied to me, “Write plainly on tablets [what I am revealing to you in] this vision, [and then read it to a messenger] in order that he can run with it [to tell it to] other people.
3 Adiyisɛm no retwɛn nkrabea bi; ɛka awiei ho asɛm na ɛbɛba mu. Ɛwɔ mu sɛ ɛrekyɛ de, nanso twɛn, ɛrenkyɛ, ɛbɛba mu.
In this vision [I will be talking about things that will happen] in the future. Now is not the time when those things will happen, but they certainly will happen, and when they occur, they will occur quickly, and they will not be delayed. Now you [want those things to happen immediately, but] they are not happening. But wait patiently for them [to happen]!
4 “Hwɛ, ɔtamfo no ama ne ho so; nʼapɛde nteɛ, nanso ɔtreneeni fi gyidi mu benya nkwa.
Think about the proud [people of Babylonia]! They are certainly not doing what is righteous. But people who are righteous will live because they faithfully [do what I want them to do].
5 Nokware, nsa yi no ma wayɛ ahantan na onni ahotɔ. Esiane sɛ ɔyɛ adifudepɛ sɛ ɔda na ɔte sɛ owu a hwee mmee no nti ɔfom aman no nyinaa na ɔfa nnipa no nyinaa nnommum. (Sheol h7585)
If people [trust in their wealth], they will deceive themselves, and proud people are never able to rest. [It is as though] the greedy people [of Babylonia open their mouths] as wide as the place where dead people are, and they never have enough, like [the place where] dead people go never has enough dead people [PRS]. The [armies of Babylonia] conquer many nations for themselves, and capture all their people. (Sheol h7585)
6 “Nnommumfo yi nyinaa bedi ne ho fɛw aserew no aka se, “‘Nnome nka nea ɔboaboa akorɔnne ano, na ɔnam apoobɔ so nya ne ho! Eyi nkɔ so nkosi da bɛn?’
But [soon] all those [whom they have captured] will ridicule [the soldiers from Babylonia]! They will make fun of them, saying, ‘Terrible things will happen to you who have stolen things [from other countries]! You got many things by forcing people to give them to you. [But you certainly will not keep those things] for a long time [RHQ]!’
7 So wɔn a wode wɔn ka no rensɔre mpofirim ana? Wɔbɛsɔre ama wo ho apopo, na wobetwiw afa wo so.
Suddenly those whom you (oppressed/treated cruelly) will cause you to tremble, and they will take away all the things that you have stolen from them.
8 Esiane sɛ woafow aman bebree nti, wɔn a wɔaka no bɛfow wo bi. Efisɛ woahwie nnipa mogya agu; woasɛe nsase, nkuropɔn ne wɔn a wɔtete mu.
You stole things from the people of many nations. You murdered [MTY] people of many people-groups, and you destroyed their land and their cities. So those who are still alive will steal valuable things from you.
9 “Nnome nka nea ɔde akorɔnne kyekyere ne man, a ɔyɛ ne berebuw wɔ sorɔnsorɔmmea, sɛnea obeyi ne ho afi ɔsɛe mu.
Terrible things will happen to you [people of Babylonia] who build big houses with money that you got by forcing others to give it to you. You are proud and you think that your houses will be safe because you have built them in places where you can easily defend them.
10 Woatu nnipa bebree sɛe ho agyina, de agu wankasa fi anim ase, de wo nkwa atwa so.
But because you have destroyed others, you have caused your family [MTY] to be shamed/disgraced, and you yourselves will be killed.
11 Abo a ɛhyehyɛ afi afasu mu no bɛteɛ mu, na ebegyigye wɔ mpuran a wɔahyehyɛ no mu.
[It is as though] the stones in the walls [of your houses] cry out to accuse you, and [it is as though] the beams [in your ceilings] also say the same things.
12 “Nnome nka nea ɔnam mogyahwiegu so kyekyere kuropɔn na ɔnam awudi so kyekyere kurow.
Terrible things will happen to you [people of Babylonia] who kill people [MTY] in order to build cities, cities that you build by using money that you have gotten by committing crimes.
13 Asafo Awurade ahyɛ sɛ, nnipa no adwumayɛ bɛyɛ ogya a wɔhyew. Aman no brɛ gu kwa.
But the Commander of the armies of angels has [RHQ] declared that everything that is built by people who do things like that [will be destroyed by] fire; they will have worked hard uselessly.
14 Na Awurade anuonyam ho nimdeɛ bɛhyɛ asase nyinaa ma, sɛnea nsu hyɛ po ma no.
But [in contrast], like [SIM] the oceans are filled with water, the earth will be filled with [people who] know that Yahweh is very great.
15 “Due! Wo a woma wo mfɛfo nsa, Wuhwie ma wɔnom kosi sɛ wɔbɛbow, na afei woahwɛ wɔn adagyaw.
Terrible things will happen to you [people of Babylonia] who cause people who live in nearby countries to become drunk. You force them to drink a lot of wine from wineskins [until they are drunk and then they walk around] naked, in order that you can see that.
16 Worennya anuonyam biara, wʼani bewu. Afei adu wo so! Nom na wʼadagyaw mu nna hɔ. Kuruwa a efi Awurade nsa nifa reba wo so, na aniwu bɛkata wʼanuonyam so.
But you are the ones who [soon] will be disgraced instead of being honored. [It will be as though you are forced to] drink [a lot of wine] in order that you will also stagger [around, drunk]. You will drink the wine [that symbolizes that Yahweh will punish you], and he will cause you to be disgraced instead of being greatly respected [any more].
17 Awurukasɛm a wode adi Lebanon no bɛmene wo, ɔsɛe a wosɛe mmoa nso bɛbɔ wo hu. Woaka nnipa mogya agu; woasɛe nsase, nkuropɔn ne nnipa a wɔwɔ mu.
You did violent [PRS] things to [the people in] Lebanon, and you killed the wild animals [there], but you will be punished severely for doing that. You have killed [MTY] many people and you have destroyed their lands and their cities.
18 “Mfaso bɛn na munya fi ahoni a nipa ayɛ mu? Anaa nsɛsode a ɛkyerɛkyerɛ atoro? Nea ɔyɛ ohoni no de ne ho to ɔno ankasa nsa ano adwuma so; na ɔyɛ anyame a wontumi nkasa.
[You people of Babylonia need to know that your] idols are completely [RHQ] useless, because it is people who made them. Statues that have been carved or made in a mold deceive you. Those who trust in idols are trusting in things that they themselves created, things that cannot speak!
19 Nnome nka nea ɔka kyerɛ dua se, ‘Nya nkwa!’ Anaa ɔka kyerɛ ɔbo a enni nkwa se, ‘Nyan!’ Ebetumi ama akwankyerɛ? Wɔde sika kɔkɔɔ ne dwetɛ adura ho; nanso ɔhome nni mu.”
Terrible things will happen to you who say to lifeless idols that are made of wood, ‘Wake up!’ Idols certainly cannot [RHQ] tell you what you should do; they [look nice/beautiful because] they are covered with silver and gold, but they are not alive.
20 Nanso Awurade wɔ nʼasɔrefi kronkron mu. Momma asase nyinaa nyɛ komm wɔ nʼanim.
But Yahweh is in his holy temple; everyone on the earth should be silent in his presence.”
