Habakuk 1
1 Eyi ne asɛm a odiyifo Habakuk nya fii Awurade nkyɛn wɔ anisoadehu mu.
The burden which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
2 Awurade, enkosi da bɛn na memfrɛ nsrɛ mmoa, nanso wuntie me? Meteɛ mu frɛ, “Akakabensɛm!” nanso womma mmegye me.
O Jehovah, how long shall I cry, and thou will not hear? I cry out to thee of violence, and thou will not save.
3 Adɛn na woma mehwɛ ntɛnkyew? Adɛn nti na wotena bɔne ho? Ɔsɛe ne akakabensɛm da mʼanim, basabasayɛ ne abɛbrɛsɛ atwa me ho ahyia.
Why do thou show me iniquity, and look upon perverseness? For destruction and violence are before me, and there is strife, and contention rises up.
4 Enti mmara nyɛ adwuma na atɛntrenee nni baabiara, atirimɔdenfo aka atreneefo ahyɛ, enti wɔkyea atemmu.
Therefore the law is slacked, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked man surrounds the righteous man, therefore justice goes forth perverted.
5 “Hwɛ aman no, na wo ho bedwiriw wo! Merebɛyɛ biribi wɔ wo bere so, na sɛ wɔka kyerɛ wo a, worennye nni.
Behold ye scoffers, and look, and wonder marvelously. For I am working a work in your days, which ye will not believe though it be told you.
6 Merema Babiloniafo asɔre, ɔman a wɔyɛ atirimɔdenfo ne ntɔkwapɛfo; wobu fa asase nyinaa so, na wɔfa tenabea a ɛnyɛ wɔn de.
For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth to possess dwelling-places that are not theirs.
7 Wɔn ho yɛ hu na nnipa suro wɔn; wɔyɛ wɔn koko so ade, de pɛ anuonyam ma wɔn ho.
They are fearful and dreadful. Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.
8 Wɔn apɔnkɔ ho yɛ hare sen asebɔ, na wɔn ho yɛ hu sen pataku a ɔnam anadwo, wɔn apɔnkɔsotefo kɔ wɔn anim mmarima so, wofi akyirikyiri nsase so, na wɔbɔ hoo sɛ akorɔma a ɔrekɔkyere aboa.
Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. And their horsemen press proudly on. Yea, their horsemen come from far. They fly as an eagle that hastens to devour.
9 Wɔn nyinaa ba sɛ wɔrebɛyɛ basabasayɛ. Wɔn dɔm pem kɔ wɔn anim te sɛ nweatam so mframa, na wɔtase nneduafo sɛ nwea.
They come all of them for violence. The set of their faces is forwards, and they gather captives as the sand.
10 Wodi ahene ho fɛw, wɔka aman sodifo anim, na wɔtwee nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ bammɔ dennen. Wosisi dɔte mpie nam so kyekyere atamfo.
Yea, he scoffs at kings, and rulers are a derision to him. He derides every stronghold, for he heaps up dust, and takes it.
11 Wɔbɔ hoo te sɛ mframa kɔ wɔn anim. Afɔdifo a wɔn ahoɔden yɛ wɔn nyame.”
Then he shall sweep by as a wind, and shall pass over, and be guilty; he whose might is his god.
12 Awurade, wunni hɔ fi tete ana? Me Nyankopɔn, me Kronkronni, wo a wote ase daa. Wo, Awurade, woapaw wɔn sɛ wommu atɛn; wo, me Botantim, woahyɛ wɔn sɛ wɔntwe aso.
Are not thou from everlasting, O Jehovah my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Jehovah, thou have ordained him for judgment, and thou, O Rock, have established him for correction.
13 Wʼaniwa yɛ kronkron a wuntumi nhwɛ nnebɔne; wunnyigye nnebɔne so. Na adɛn nti na wugyigye nnipa akɔntɔnkye so, na dɛn nti na wayɛ komm wɔ bere a atirimɔdenfo rememene atreneefo?
Thou who are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and who cannot look on perverseness, why do thou look upon those who deal treacherously, and hold thy peace when the wicked man swallows up the man who is more righteous than he,
14 Woama nnipa ayɛ sɛ nsumnam a ɛwɔ po mu, te sɛ abɔde a ɛwɔ po mu a wonni sodifo.
and makes men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
15 Ɔtamfo tirimɔdenfo no de darewa yi wɔn, ogu nʼasau de buma wɔn, na afei ɔsɛpɛw ne ho ma nʼani gye.
He takes all of them up with the hook. He catches them in his net, and gathers them in his drag. Therefore he rejoices and is glad.
16 Ne saa nti ɔbɔ afɔre ma nʼasau na wahyew aduhuam ama no, efisɛ asau yi so na ɔnam nya yiyedi, na odi nʼakɔnnɔ aduan.
Therefore he sacrifices to his net, and burns incense to his drag, because by them his portion is fat, and his food plentiful.
17 Enti ɔnkɔ so nni nʼasau mu nam, na ɔmfa atirimɔden nsɛe aman ana?
Shall he therefore empty his net, and not spare to kill the nations continually?
