¹Shoko raMwari rakaonekwa nomuporofita Habhakuki.

¹The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

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

² Yahweh, “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I cry out to you “Violence!” and will you not save?

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

³Why do you show me iniquity, and look at perversity? For destruction and violence are before me. There is strife, and contention rises up.

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

⁴Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice goes forth perverted.

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

⁵“Look among the nations, watch, and wonder marvelously; for I am working a work in your days, which you will not believe though it is told you.

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

⁶For, behold, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, that march through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs.

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

⁷They are feared and dreaded. Their judgment and their dignity proceed from 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 leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. Their horsemen press proudly on. Yes, their horsemen come from afar. They fly as an eagle that hurries to devour.

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

⁹All of them come for violence. Their hordes face the desert. He gathers prisoners like sand.

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

¹⁰Yes, he scoffs at kings, and princes are a derision to him. He laughs at every stronghold, for he builds up an earthen ramp, and takes it.

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

¹¹Then he sweeps by like the wind, and goes on. He is indeed guilty, whose strength is 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,

¹²Aren’t you from everlasting, Yahweh my God The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “Elohim.” , my Holy One? We will not die. Yahweh, you have appointed him for judgment. You, Rock, have established him to punish.

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

¹³You who have purer eyes than to see evil, and who cannot look on perversity, why do you tolerate those who deal treacherously, and keep silent when the wicked swallows up the man who is more righteous than he,

¹⁴muchiita vanhu sehove dzegungwa, sezvinokambaira, zvisina mubati?

¹⁴and make men like the fish of the sea, like the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?

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

¹⁵He takes up all of them with the hook. He catches them in his net, and gathers them in his dragnet. Therefore he rejoices and is glad.

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

¹⁶Therefore he sacrifices to his net, and burns incense to his dragnet, because by them his life is luxurious, and his food is good.

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

¹⁷Will he therefore continually empty his net, and kill the nations without mercy?