1 This is the message that the Lord revealed to the prophet Habakkuk.
Habakkuk Complains of Injustice
2 O Lord, how long must I call for help before you listen, before you save us from violence? 3 Why do you make me see such trouble? How can you stand to look on such wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are all around me, and there is fighting and quarreling everywhere. 4 The law is weak and useless, and justice is never done. Evil people get the better of the righteous, and so justice is perverted.
The Lord's Reply
5 Then the Lord said to his people, “Keep watching the nations around you, and you will be astonished at what you see. I am going to do something that you will not believe when you hear about it. 6 I am bringing the Babylonians to power, those fierce, restless people. They are marching out across the world to conquer other lands. 7 They spread fear and terror, and in their pride they are a law to themselves.
8 “Their horses are faster than leopards, fiercer than hungry wolves. Their cavalry troops come riding from distant lands; their horses paw the ground. They come swooping down like eagles attacking their prey.
9 “Their armies advance in violent conquest, and everyone is terrified as they approach. Their captives are as numerous as grains of sand. 10 They treat kings with contempt and laugh at high officials. No fortress can stop them—they pile up earth against it and capture it. 11 Then they sweep on like the wind and are gone, these men whose power is their god.”
Habakkuk Complains to the Lord Again
12 Lord, from the very beginning you are God. You are my God, holy and eternal. Lord, my God and protector, you have chosen the Babylonians and made them strong so that they can punish us. 13 But how can you stand these treacherous, evil men? Your eyes are too holy to look at evil, and you cannot stand the sight of people doing wrong. So why are you silent while they destroy people who are more righteous than they are?
14 How can you treat people like fish or like a swarm of insects that have no ruler to direct them? 15 The Babylonians catch people with hooks, as though they were fish. They drag them off in nets and shout for joy over their catch! 16 They even worship their nets and offer sacrifices to them, because their nets provide them with the best of everything.
17 Are they going to use their swords forever and keep on destroying nations without 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?
