Habakkuk 1

1 He olrhuh he tonghma Habakkuk loh a dang.

The prophecy which was revealed to the prophet Habakkuk.

2 BOEIPA aw me hil nim bomnah kam bih lahve? Na hnatun pawt dongah kuthlahnah te namah taengla ka pang dae nan khang pawh.

How long, O Jehovah, do I cry, and thou dost not hear! How long do I complain to thee of violence, and thou dost not save!

3 Balae tih kai he boethae he nan hmuh sak tih ka hmai ah thakthaenah, rhoelrhanah neh kuthlahnah he nan paelki sak. Te dongah tuituknah om tih olpungkacan khaw puek coeng.

Why dost thou suffer me to see iniquity, And why dost thou look upon wickedness? For spoiling and violence are before me; There is contention, and strife exalteth itself.

4 Te dongah olkhueng he dap tih tiktamnah he a yoeyah la cet pawh. Halang loh a dueng te a dum dongah laitloeknah he a haeh la cet.

Therefore the law faileth, And judgment is not pronounced according to truth; For the wicked encompasseth the righteous, Therefore wrong judgment is pronounced.

5 Namtom rhoek te hmu lamtah paelki laeh. Ngaihmang sak laeh, ngaihmang sak laeh. Namah tue kah aka thoeng khoboe he a daek vaengah na tangnah uh mahpawh.

Behold ye among the nations, and look! Yea, wonder, and be astonished! For I do a work in your days Which ye will not believe though it be told you.

6 Namtom ah aka khahing Khalden te ka thoh ngawn coeng ne. Te dongah amah kah pawt khaw dungtlungim pang ham tah khohmuen hoengpoeknah ah cet paitok lah ko.

For behold, I raise up the Chaldeans, A fierce and swift people, Which go over the breadth of the earth, To take possession of dwelling-places that are not their own.

7 Anih tah a rhimom tih a rhih khaw om. Amah lamloh a laitloeknah neh a boeimangnah khaw a khuen.

They are terrible and dreadful; From themselves go forth their law and their dignity.

8 A marhang te kaihlaeng lakah loe tih hlaemhmah uithang lakah a lai haat. A marhang caem rhoek a pet uh vaengah a marhang caem loh a hla lamkah khaw a pha uh tih caak hamla aka paco atha bangla ding uh.

Their horses are swifter than leopards, And fiercer than evening wolves. Their horsemen leap proudly; Their horsemen come from far; They fly like an eagle, hastening to devour.

9 Kuthlahnah ham a pum la lambong neh cet uh. A maelhmai te khothoeng la a khueh uh tih laivin bangla tamna a kuk uh.

All of them come for violence; The multitude of their faces is directed forwards, And they gather captives as sand.

10 Anih loh manghai rhoek te a soehsal tih boeica rhoek khaw anih taengah nueihbu la poeh. Anih tah hmuencak takuem ah a luem dongah laipi a hmoek tih hmuencak te a loh.

They also scoff at kings, And princes are to them a laughing-stock; They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earth and take it.

11 Mueihla loh a hil tih a pah vaengah amah thadueng te a pathen la aka ngai te tah boe coeng.

Then their spirit is uplifted, and they transgress, and become guilty; This their strength is made their god.

12 Ka Pathen BOEIPA, ka hlangcim namah he hlamat lamkah moenih a? BOEIPA te ka duek sak uh thai mahpawh. Laitloeknah ham amah na khueh tih aka toel ham khaw amah te lungpang la na khueng.

Art thou not from everlasting, O Jehovah, my God, my Holy One? We shall not die! Thou, O Jehovah, hast appointed them for judgment; Thou, O Rock, hast ordained them for chastisement.

13 Mik he cil lamloh boethae te a hmuh tih na noeng mueh thakthaenah te a paelki. Balae tih hnukpoh rhoek te na paelki, halang loh amah lakah aka dueng a dolh vaengah na ngam?

Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, And canst not look on wickedness; Why then dost thou look on transgressors, And art silent, when the wicked swalloweth up the man that is more righteous than he?

14 Te dongah hlang he tuitunli kah nga bangla na saii tih rhulcai bangla anih soah aka taem khaw tal.

And why makest thou men as the fishes of the sea, As the reptiles that have no ruler?

15 A pum la vaih neh a doek tih a soh neh a hoi, a lawk neh a kol. Te dongah a kohoe tih omngaih van.

They take up all of them with the hook, They catch them in their net, And gather them in their drag; Therefore they rejoice and exult.

16 Te dongah a soh taengah te a nawn tih a lawk taengah te a phum. Te long te a khoyo a ul pah tih a buh a tham a kom pah.

Therefore they sacrifice to their net, And burn incense to their drag; Because by them their portion is fat, And their food plenteous.

17 He dongah nim a lawk te a soh a duen vetih sainoek bangla namtom ngawn ham te lungma a ti pawt eh?

Shall they therefore empty the net, And slay the nations continually without mercy?