1 Indji ondji ri ombuze Muhona ndja vandururira omuprofete Habakuk motjirimunikise.
Habakuk ma unaunine ouhasemba
2 Muhona, hi ningire ombatero kove tungapi kutja u ndji vatere; nu hi urakane ondjamo kove tungapi kutja u ndji yame kozondjito zoutwe? 3 Okutjavi tji u ndji munisa ouhasemba nai? Okutjavi tji u ha kara ko na tja noṋiṋikizire ombi otja indji? Omayandekero nozondjito zoutwe vye ndji kovera akuhe, nu poṋa apehe pe novirwa nozombata. 4 Omatwako opu ya ngundiparera, nousemba opu u he tji tjitirwa. Ovarunde ve kondoroka ovasemba novineya, nousemba opu u kamunikira aayo kawo.
Eziriro ra Muhona
5 Muhona wa tja nai kotjiwaṋa tje: “Yevayeveye mokati koviwaṋa mutjevere nawa, neṋe mamu kumisiwa i imbi mbi mamu munu. Ami me tjiti otjiṋa tji mu hi nokukambura, nandi mwa serekarererwa tjo. 6 Ami me sekamisa Ovababilon ve rire ovanauvara, ihi otjiwaṋa otjindandi notjirwe. Owo mave tuurunga ouye amave havere omahi warwe. 7 Owo otjiwaṋa otjitirise notjiurumise, nu momeritongamisiro wawo owo ve rizikira omatwako wawo oveni.
8 “Oukambe wOvababilon mbo u novikara povitotongwe nu oundandi pozombungu nḓa ṱondjara. Ovakavire vawo mave kavire okuza komahi wokokure; oukambe wawo u tupuka tjinene. Owo mave rauka otja ozonguvi nḓu maze wirire potjiriwa tjazo.
9 “Ovimbumba vyovita vyOvababilon mba mavi utukire okuyekutjita outwe, novandu avehe mave vi tira tji mavi rauka. Ovahuurwa vawo ovengi tjinene tjimuna eheke. 10 Owo mave nyengwa ozombara nave nyekerere ozohivirikwa; kape notjiṱunga tji matji ve tjaere, mave tji tungire ozondunduvahi ave tji kambura. 11 Tjazumba otji mave hingi otja otjivepo ave zengi, imba ovandu mbe vara omasa wawo otja nge ri omukuru wawo.”
Habakuk ma unaunine Muhona rukwao
12 Muhona, okuza kombutiro, tjiri, oove Ndjambi. Oove Ndjambi wandje, Omuyapuke nu waaruhe. Muhona, Ndjambi nOmuyame wandje, ove wa toorora Ovababilon no ve pe omasa kokutja ve sore okutupangura nokutuvera. 13 Nungwari pe ya vi kutja ove u zare ovandu ovavi novarunde mba? Omeho woye omayapuke tjinene nai nga tji ye hi nokusokutara mourunde, nove ko nokusora okuzara ovandu mbe tjita outwe. Okutjavi tji wa mwina owo ngunda amave yandeke otjiwaṋa otjisemba tjinene pu wo?
14 Okutjavi ove tji u ṱuna ovandu otja ozohi poo otja ehapu roupuka mbu honahona pehi nu mbu hi nomunane okuuhongorera? 15 Ovababilon ve pata ovandu nozongoorero aayo owo ozohi. Owo ve ve kokozora mozombate okuvetwara, nu ve ravaera nondjoroka komapatero wawo ngu va tjiti. 16 Owo ve rikotamena nangarire kozombate zawo nave ze punguhire ozombunguhiro, ozombate zawo tjinga aze ve pa outumbe ouingi novikurya vyombyarero.
17 Owo mave ungurisa omangaruvyo wawo nga aruhe nokukara pokuzepa omihoko nokuhinotjari are?
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?
