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?
Pravieša sūdzība
1 Vēstījums, ko redzēja pravietis Habakuks.
2 Cik ilgi, Kungs, man palīgā saukt,
ka tu nedzirdi?!
Es kliedzu tev: varmācība! –
bet tu neglāb!
3 Kādēļ tu liec man skatīt nekrietnību
un nolūkoties mokās?
Posts un varasdarbi ir manā priekšā,
un rodas tik strīdi un ķildas!
4 Tādēļ bauslībai spēka nav
un taisnu tiesu nemūžam neatrast,
jo ļaundaris pārmāc taisno –
taisnība sagrozīta!
Kunga atbilde
5 “Skatieties uz citām tautām un lūkojiet,
nenobrīnīties vien –
jūsu dienās paveiks ko tādu,
ka stāstītam jūs pat neticētu!
6 Jo, redzi, es likšu kaldiešiem celties,
tā ir rūgta un nikna tauta,
kas dodas zemes plašumos
iemantot mājvietas, kas tiem nepieder!
7 Baisi un draudīgi tie,
savu tiesu un taisnību visiem uztiepj!
8 Par leopardiem straujāki viņu zirgi,
naskāki nekā vilki naktī,
to jātnieki auļo,
to jātnieki no tālienes joņo,
knaši kā lijas tie laižas plosīt!
9 Tie visi uz varasdarbiem,
visi kopā uz priekšu! –
nu kā smilšu sagrābsies gūstekņu.
10 Par ķēniņiem viņi ņirgājas
un apsmej vadoņus,
par mūriem tie tikai pasmejas,
saber no zemēm valni – un iekšā!
11 Tad tie aizšalc kā vējš – un prom!
Grēcīgs, kam viņa spēks ir par dievu!”
Otra Habakuka sūdzība
12 Kungs, vai jau no senatnes
tu neesi mans svētais Dievs?!
Mēs nemirsim!
Kungs, tiesāt tu sūtījis viņus,
tu klints!
Par pārmācību tu nolicis tos!
13 Tavas acis ir šķīstas un neredz ļauna,
tās nevar raudzīties nelaimē –
kādēļ tu lūkojies uz krāpniekiem,
kādēļ tu klusē, kad ļaundaris aprij kādu,
kas taisnāks par viņu?!
14 Tu dari cilvēku līdzīgu jūras zivīm un rāpuļiem,
kam nav valdnieka.
15 Tos visus ar āķi viņš paceļ
un izvelk ar tīklu,
savāc tos savā murdā –
nu līksmo un gavilē!
16 Tagad viņš upurē savam tīklam
un kvēpina savam murdam,
jo tie dara treknu viņa daļu
un viņa maltīti dāsnu!
17 Vai viņš varēs tukšot savu tīklu
un vienmēr galēt tautas bez žēlastības?!
