Habakuk 1
1 Eyi ne asɛm a odiyifo Habakuk nya fii Awurade nkyɛn wɔ anisoadehu mu.
This is the burden that Habakkuk the prophet received in a vision:
2 Awurade, enkosi da bɛn na memfrɛ nsrɛ mmoa, nanso wuntie me? Meteɛ mu frɛ, “Akakabensɛm!” nanso womma mmegye me.
How long, O LORD, must I call for help but You do not hear, or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do 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 You make me see iniquity? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds.
4 Enti mmara nyɛ adwuma na atɛntrenee nni baabiara, atirimɔdenfo aka atreneefo ahyɛ, enti wɔkyea atemmu.
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
5 “Hwɛ aman no, na wo ho bedwiriw wo! Merebɛyɛ biribi wɔ wo bere so, na sɛ wɔka kyerɛ wo a, worennye nni.
“Look at the nations and observe— be utterly astounded! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe even if someone 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 behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans — that ruthless and impetuous nation which marches through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own.
7 Wɔn ho yɛ hu na nnipa suro wɔn; wɔyɛ wɔn koko so ade, de pɛ anuonyam ma wɔn ho.
They are dreaded and feared; from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty.
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 are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead, and their cavalry comes from afar. They fly like a vulture, swooping down 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.
All of them come bent on violence; their hordes advance like the east wind; they gather prisoners like sand.
10 Wodi ahene ho fɛw, wɔka aman sodifo anim, na wɔtwee nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ bammɔ dennen. Wosisi dɔte mpie nam so kyekyere atamfo.
They scoff at kings and make rulers an object of scorn. They laugh at every fortress and build up siege ramps to seize it.
11 Wɔbɔ hoo te sɛ mframa kɔ wɔn anim. Afɔdifo a wɔn ahoɔden yɛ wɔn nyame.”
Then they sweep by like the wind and pass on through. They are guilty; their own strength is their 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 You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. O LORD, You have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, You have established them 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?
Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
14 Woama nnipa ayɛ sɛ nsumnam a ɛwɔ po mu, te sɛ abɔde a ɛwɔ po mu a wonni sodifo.
You have made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler.
15 Ɔtamfo tirimɔdenfo no de darewa yi wɔn, ogu nʼasau de buma wɔn, na afei ɔsɛpɛw ne ho ma nʼani gye.
The foe pulls all of them up with a hook; he catches them in his dragnet, and gathers them in his fishing net; so he rejoices gladly.
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 dragnet and burns incense to his fishing net, for by these things his portion is sumptuous and his food is rich.
17 Enti ɔnkɔ so nni nʼasau mu nam, na ɔmfa atirimɔden nsɛe aman ana?
Will he, therefore, empty his net and continue to slay nations without mercy?
