1 I am Habakkuk the prophet. And this is the message that the Lord gave me.
Habakkuk Complains to the Lord
2 Our Lord, how long must I beg
for your help
before you listen?
How long before you save us
from all this violence?
3 Why do you make me watch
such terrible injustice?
Why do you allow violence,
lawlessness, crime, and cruelty
to spread everywhere?
4 Laws cannot be enforced;
justice is always the loser;
criminals crowd out honest people
and twist the laws around.
The Lord Answers Habakkuk
5 Look and be amazed
at what's happening
among the nations!
Even if you were told,
you would never believe
what's taking place now.
6 I am sending the Babylonians.
They are fierce and cruel—
marching across the land,
conquering cities and towns.
7 How fearsome and frightening.
Their only laws and rules
are the ones they make up.
8 Their cavalry troops are faster
than leopards,
more ferocious than wolves
hunting at sunset,
and swifter than hungry eagles
suddenly swooping down.
9 They are eager to destroy,
and they gather captives
like handfuls of sand.
10 They make fun of rulers
and laugh at fortresses,
while building dirt mounds
so they can capture cities.
11 Then suddenly they disappear
like a gust of wind—
those sinful people who worship
their own strength.
Habakkuk Complains Again
12 Holy Lord God, mighty rock,
you are eternal,
and we are safe from death.
You are using those Babylonians
to judge and punish others.
13 But you can't stand sin or wrong.
So don't sit by in silence
while they gobble up people
who are better than they are.
14 The people you put on this earth
are like fish or reptiles
without a leader.
15 Then an enemy comes along
and takes them captive
with hooks and nets.
It makes him so happy
16 that he offers sacrifices
to his fishing nets,
because they make him rich
and provide choice foods.
17 Will he keep hauling in his nets
and destroying nations
without showing mercy?
1 Yaawe* ye ñiŋ kiilaariyaa kumoo le lankenemayandi Annabilayi Habakuki ma.
Habakuki la woosiitoo diyaamu foloo
2 Hee Yaawe, kabiriŋ waati jaŋ m be deemaaroo ñini kaŋ i bulu,
i be n danku la waati jumaa le?
M be woosii kaŋ i ye ñiŋ ne la ko,
fitinoo meeta minindiŋ moolu la le.
Saayiŋ waati jumaa le mu, i be m̀ bo la a kono?
3 Muŋ ne ye a tinna i ye n jerindi ñiŋ tilimbaliyaa la?
Muŋ ne ye a tinna i ye i ñaa kaasi kuu kuruŋo la?
N ñaa ka kasaaroo niŋ fitina kuwo doroŋ ne je daa-wo-daa,
keloo niŋ sonkoo be wuli kaŋ doroŋ.
4 Luwaa la kuwo lamfuta,
tooñaa nene maŋ sabati,
kuruŋolu ye kendoolu kada,
tooñaa nakarita.
Alla la jaabiri foloo
5 “Ali bankoolu juubee, ali ye ì koroosi, ali si jaakali.
M be naa kuu ke la ali tiloo la,
niŋ moo ye a fo ali ye, ali te laa la a la.
6 M be semboo dii la Babiloninkoolu le la,
wo moo balafaabaloolu, aduŋ ì tariyaata.
Ì ka taama duniyaa karoo bee le la
ka moolu yaalu taa ì bulu.
7 Ì ka silaŋo le duŋ moolu la, aniŋ kijafaroo.
Ì la faŋ waroo kaŋ, ì ye ì fansuŋ luwaa londi,
meŋ diyaata ì ye, ì ka taama wo le la.
8 Ì la suwoolu le tariyaata ka tambi soloo la,
aduŋ itolu le ñamoo fatiyaata ka tambi suluu konkoriŋo la.
Ì la suu borindilaalu si bo naŋ dulaa jaŋ,
ì la suwoolu sinkaŋo be kuma la bankoo kaŋ.
Ì tariyaatoo si ì jawoolu waliŋ keloo la ko
niŋ seeliŋo be jii la suboo kaŋ duuma.
9 Ì kataatoomaa le ka naa,
ì hameriŋo ye kirimbaasi ñaato.
Ì ye moo mutariŋolu jurumi ñoo kaŋ ko bankumunkoo.
10 Mansakewolu, ì ka wolu ñaawali le,
maralilaalu, ì ye wolu ke jelefeŋolu ti.
Tatoo, ì ka jele wo la le,
ì ka bankoo le ke teputepoo ti,
ì ye sele a la ka jee taa.
11 Ì tambitoo ì ka dulaa seneyandi le lewu ko foñoo,
ì ye tenteŋ ka kuu kuruŋo ke.
Ì ka tara taamaayaariŋ ì semboo le la,
ko wo le mu ì la Alla ti.”
Habakuki la woosiitoo diyaamu fulanjaŋo
12 Yaawe*, ite be keriŋ ne biriŋ,
Yaawe, n na Alla, n na Senuŋ Baa,
ite meŋ be tu la fo abadaa.
Ite le ye Babiloninkoolu tomboŋ ka kiitii koleŋo laa ǹ kaŋ.
Ite tankandirilaa,
ite le ye semboo dii ì la ka naa ǹ jarabi.
13 I jankuta wo ti le, i ñaa ye loo kuu kuruŋo kaŋ,
i buka muña kuu kuruŋo kaŋ.
Wo to muŋ ne ye a tinna i be soŋ na
jamfaalaalu ye kuu ke noo?
Muŋ ne ye a tinna i tuta deyiriŋ
biriŋ ñiŋ moo kuruŋolu be moolu tumbuŋ kaŋ,
mennu tilinta itolu ti.
14 I ye moolu bula le ko baakono ñewolu,
ko kuruntu feŋolu,
maralilaa te mennu la.
15 Babiloninkoolu ye moolu wafu naŋ,
ko niŋ ñewo be dooliŋo daa.
Ì ye moolu saba naŋ ko jaloo ka ñewolu kafu ñoo ma ñaameŋ,
ì niŋ seewoo niŋ kontaanoo.
16 Ì ye sadaalu* bo ì la jaloolu ye.
Ì ye seera feŋ diimaalu siisindi ì ye,
ko wolu le ka a tinna ì ka mutaroo ke kendeke,
aniŋ ka domori kendoo soto.
17 Fo ì be tu la ñiŋ ne la baŋ,
ka ì la hawusaroolu* taa ka moolu faa bankoolu kaŋ
balafaabaliyaa kono?
