1 Ndika olyo elaka ndyoka Omuwa e li hololele omuhunganeki Habakuk.
Habakuk ta nyenyetele uukolokoshi
2 Omuwa, sigo uunake ndi na oku ku kugila ekwatho ngoye itoo pulakene, ngoye itoo tu hupitha mo momathiminiko? 3 Omolwashike to talitha ndje omalwa? Sigo uunake to idhidhimikile iilonga yuukolokoshi? Eyonuko nomathiminiko oga kunduka ndje, naapehe ope na omalugodhi noontamanana. 4 Ompango kayi na oonkondo, nuuyuuki itau gwanithwa nando. Aakolokoshi oye li hwepo ye vule aayuuki, nuuyuuki otau goyokithwa.
Eyamukulo lyOmuwa
5 Nena Omuwa okwa ti kaantu ye: “Taleni kiigwana ye mu kunduka notamu ka kuminwa iinima mbyoka tamu yi mono. Otandi ka ninga po sha shoka itaamu shi itaale nuupu, nge tamu shi uvu. 6 Otandi gandja oonkondo kAababilonia, mboka ye li po oshigwana oshidhudhu noshipwidhi. Otaa ka taakana uuyuni nokulala omavi giigwana yilwe. 7 Otaa taandelitha uumbanda netilo, nomuuntsa wawo yene oyi ipa uuthemba nomuthika gwopombanda.
8 “Uukambe wawo ou na ondapo u vule omatotono, ou na uupwidhi u vule omambungu ga sa ondjala. Aakayilinkambe yawo otaa zi komakule; uukambe wawo otau tatagula evi. Otau koloka tau gwililile po wa fa omakodhi taga hakana oshihakanwa shago.
9 “Omatangakwiita gawo otaga tsikile methiminiko okusindana; ayehe otaa kakama, sho taga hedha ko. Oonkwatwa dhawo odhindji dha fa omawe gopehekevi. 10 Ohaa sheke aakwaniilwa nohaa yolo aambala aanene. Kape na ohote tayi ya keelele — otaye yi palele omituni e taye yi kwata po. 11 Nena oyo taa pitilile po ya fa ombepo tayi piti po, oshoka oonkondo dhawo odho kalunga kawo.”
Habakuk ta nyenyetele ishewe Omuwa
12 Omuwa, ongoye Kalunga okuza konale. Ongoye Kalunga kandje, omuyapuki nomukwaaluhe. Omuwa Kalunga kandje nomugameni gwandje, ongoye wa hogolola Aababilonia nowe ya pe oonkondo, ye tu geele. 13 Ihe oto vulu ngiini okwiidhidhimikila aanamakoto mbaka aawinayi? Omeho goye omayapuki unene okutala uuwinayi, noito vulu nando okwiidhidhimikila okutala aantu taa eta eyonuko. Omolwashike wa mwena, manga yo taa hanagula po aantu aayuuki?
14 Aantu yandje oto ya ningi ya fa oohi nenge eimbagano lyuupapuka waa na ngoka te u wilike. 15 Aababilonia otaa yulu aantu noondjolo ya fa oohi. Otaye ya kookololele moonete notaa ligola ya nyanyukwa, sho ye ya kwata! 16 Oyo haa simaneke oonete dhawo notaye dhi yambele oondjambo, oshoka oonete dhawo ohadhi ya kwatele iinima ayihe iiwanawa.
17 Otaa pitikwa okudhipaga nomagongamwele gawo sigo aluhe nokutsikila okuyona po iigwana pwaa na henda?
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?
