Habakkuk 1
1 Tahmaa Habakkuk mah hnuk ih lok loe hae tiah oh.
The message seen by the prophet Habakkuk.
2 Aw Angraeng, nasetto maw kang kawk moe, kang kawkhaih lok tahngai ai ah na oh han vop? Tha hoi kang kawk naah doeh, nang pahlong ai!
How long, Lord, have I cried out and without you hearing me! I cry to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not help.
3 Tih hanah kahoih ai hmuen to nang patuek moe, raihaih to nang hnuksak loe? Lomhaih hoi raihaih ka hma ah oh moe, lokpunghaih hoi angzoehhaih to pop.
Why do you make me look upon wickedness and behold trouble? Destruction and violence are before my eyes, and fighting and quarrelling.
4 To pongah ukhaih daan loe thazok boeh, toenghaih doeh hmabang caeh thai ai boeh: kasae kami mah katoeng kami to ven khoep pongah, amsoem ai lokcaekhaih to hmacawn lat boeh.
Therefore the law is weak, and justice is never rendered; for the wicked surround the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
5 Sithaw panoek ai kaminawk thungah kaom hmuen to khen oh loe, poek o noek ah! Paroeai dawnrai hoiah om oh; thuih cadoeh, tang han ai ah nangcae ih adung thungah tok ka sak han.
Look at the nations, look well, be shocked and amazed. For I am about to do a work in your days; you will not believe it when it is told.
6 Khenah, tahmenhaih tawn ai, tha patoh hoi toksak koeh acaeng, Khaldian kaminawk to kang thawksak boeh, nihcae loe angmacae ih prae na ai prae kalah to lak hanah, prae thung boih ah caeh o tih.
For I am about to raise up the Chaldeans, a nation grim and quick of action who sweep over the whole breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own.
7 Nihcae loe zit kaom kami ah oh o; nihcae lokcaekhaih hoi ukhaih daan doeh angmacae koeh baktiah ni sak o.
They bring fear and terror. They write their own rules.
8 Nihcae ih hrang loe kaithlaeng pongah rang o kue moe, aduem bang ih tasui pongah hmawsaeng o kue: hrang angthueng kaminawk loe angthla parai ahmuen hoiah angzoh o, toe nihcae loe moi caa tahmu kazawk baktiah a zawk o tih.
Their horses are swifter than leopards, quicker than wolves hunting at dusk. From afar they come swooping down, like an eagle attacking its prey.
9 Nihcae loe athii longsak hanah angzo o boih tih; nihcae ih mikhmai loe ni angyae bang ih takhi baktiah oh, nihcae mah misong ah naeh ih kaminawk to savuet baktiah angpop o sak.
They all come to do violence, a horde like a desert wind, they gather up captives like sand.
10 Siangpahrangnawk to pahnui o thui tih, ukkung angraengnawk doeh khet kamcuk ai ah sah o tih: vangpui thung ih misa pakaahaihnawk to pahnui o thui tih, long tangprih to tapop o ueloe, vangpui to la o tih.
At kings they scoff, and princes are sport to them. They laugh at every fortress, and heap up earth to take it.
11 To pacoengah a poekhaih to amkhraih ueloe, anghmaa o boih tih; kazae kaminawk loe angmacae thacakhaih to sithaw baktiah pakoeh o.
Then they sweep on like the wind, Their strength is their god.
12 Aw Angraeng kai ih Sithaw, kaciim kai ih Sithaw, nang loe dungzan ah hing na ai maw? Kaicae loe ka dueh o mak ai. Aw Angraeng, lok takroek hanah nihcae to na caksak boeh; Aw thacak Sithaw, nihcae thuitaek hanah na caksak boeh.
Are you not eternal, Lord, my holy one, who does not die? Lord you have appointed them to execute judgment, my rock, you have established them to punish.
13 Na mik loe ciim moe, kasae khet hanah na koeh ai: tipongah aling thaih kaminawk to na khet loe? Tipongah kazae kami mah angmah pong katoeng kaminawk to paaeh naah, na khet sut loe?
Your eyes are too pure to look at evil, you cannot condone iniquity. So why do you regard the treacherous in silence, while the wicked swallows the upright?
14 Tipongah long kaminawk to ukkung tawn ai, tuipui ih tanganawk baktih, zok hoi kavak moinawk baktiah na sak loe?
You have made people like the fish of the sea, like reptiles that have no ruler.
15 Misanawk mah nihcae to cakoih hoiah tathok o, palok hoiah naeh o pacoengah, palok pui hoiah a ruet o. To pongah nihcae loe poeknawm o parai moe, anghoe o.
The wicked sweep them all into their nets, and gather them into their drag-nets, and rejoice and celebrate.
16 To pongah nihcae loe angmacae ih palok khaeah hmuen tathlanghaih to sak o moe, palok pui taengah hmuihoih to a thlaek o, nihcae loe tahamhoih o moe, caaknaek pop parai ah a tawnh o.
Therefore they sacrifice to their net, and burn offerings to their drag-net; for by their nets are their portions generous, and their food is rich.
17 Nihcae loe palok pong ih tanga to khringh o boih ueloe, tahmenhaih tawn ai ah prae kaminawk to hum o poe tih maw?
Will they empty their nets continually, slaughter nations unpityingly?
