¹Shoko raMwari rakaonekwa nomuporofita Habhakuki.

¹The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

²Aiwa, Jehovha, ndichadana kusvikira riniko, imwi musinganzwi? Ndinodana kwamuri pamusoro pokuitirwa simba, asi hamundiponesi.

²O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!

³Munondiratidzireiko zvakaipa, munotarireiko zvisakarurama? nekuti kuparadza nokuitira vamwe simba zviri pamberi pangu; rukave ruripo, uye kukakavara kunomuka.

³Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

⁴Saka murayiro haune simba, uye kururamisira vamwe hakuchaonekwi; nekuti vakashata vanokomba vakarurama; saka kururamisira vamwe kunongoonekwa kwakaminama.

⁴Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

⁵Tarirai pakati pamarudzi, muone, mushamiswe kwazvo-kwazvo; nekuti ndinobata basa pamazuva enyu, ramucharamba kutenda kunyange muchizviudzwa.

⁵Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

⁶nekuti tarirai, ndinomutsa vaKaradhea, rudzi rune hasha runopenga, vanofamba panyika pose, kuti vazvitorere ugaro husati huri hwavo.

⁶For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not their's.

⁷Vanotyisa nokukarudza; kutonga kwavo nokukudzwa kwavo kunobva kwavari vamene.

⁷They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.

⁸Mabhiza avowo anomhanya achipfuura ingwe, ane hasha kupfuura mapere amadekwana; vatasvi vavo vamabhiza vanomhanya vachiuruka, zvirokwazvo vatasvi vavo vamabiza vanouya vachibva kure, vanobhururuka segondo rinokurumidzira kudya.

⁸Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.

⁹Vanouya vose kuzoita simba; zviso zvavo zvakatarira mberi; vanounganidza vatapwa sejecha.

⁹They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.

¹⁰Zvirokwazvo vanodadira madzimambo, machinda anosekwa navo; vanoseka nhare dzose, nekuti vanodzitutira guruva ndokudzikunda.

¹⁰And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.

¹¹Ipapo vanopfuura semhepo, ndokuenda, asi vane mhosva, ivo vanoita simba ravo mwari wavo.

¹¹Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.

¹²Imi Jehovha, Mwari wangu, Mutsvene wangu, hamuzakavapo kubva pakutanga-tanga here? Isu hatingafi. Jehovha, imwi makavatemera kuti vatonge, nemwi dombo makavaisapo kuti varange,

¹²Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.

¹³Imi, muna meso akaisvonaka, asingadi kutarira zvakaipa, musingadi kuona zvisakarurama, munotaririreiko vanonyengera, muchinyarara kana akashata achimedza akamupfuura nokururama;

¹³Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

¹⁴muchiita vanhu sehove dzegungwa, sezvinokambaira, zvisina mubati?

¹⁴And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?

¹⁵Vanovabudisa vose nehaka yavo, vanovabata mumumbure wavo, vachivaunganidzira murutava rwavo; naizvozvo vanofara kwazvo vanomufaro.

¹⁵They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad.

¹⁶Naizvozvo vanobayira mumbure wavo, nokupisira rutava rwavo zvinonhuhwira, nekuti mugove wavo wakakora nazvo, zvokudya zvavo zvawanda.

¹⁶Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.

¹⁷Zvino vangadurura zviri mumumbure wavo, vakaramba vachiuraya marudzi avanhu here?

¹⁷Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?