1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

2 Jehovah, how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear? I cry out unto thee, Violence! and thou dost not save.

3 Why dost thou cause me to see iniquity, and lookest thou upon grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up.

4 Therefore the law is powerless, and justice doth never go forth; for the wicked encompasseth the righteous; therefore judgment goeth forth perverted.

5 See ye among the nations, and behold, and wonder marvellously; for {I} work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be declared {to you}.

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

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

8 And their horses are swifter than the leopards, and are more agile than the evening wolves; and their horsemen prance proudly, and their horsemen come from afar: they fly as an eagle that hasteth to devour.

9 They come all of them for violence: the crowd of their faces is forwards, and they gather captives as the sand.

10 Yea, he scoffeth at kings, and princes are a scorn unto him; he derideth every stronghold: for he heapeth up dust, and taketh it.

11 Then will his mind change, and he will pass on, and become guilty: this his power is become his +god.

12 -Art thou not from everlasting, Jehovah my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. Jehovah, thou hast ordained him for judgment; and thou, O Rock, hast appointed him for correction.

13 {Thou art} of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on mischief: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, {and} keepest silence when the wicked swalloweth up a {man} more righteous than he?

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

15 He taketh up all of them with the hook, he catcheth them in his net, and gathereth them into his drag; therefore he rejoiceth and is glad:

16 therefore he sacrificeth unto his net, and burneth incense unto his drag; for by them his portion is become fat, and his meat dainty.

17 Shall he therefore empty his net, and not spare to slay the nations continually?

1 Ko te poropititanga i kitea e Hapakuku poropiti.

2 Kia pehea te roa, e Ihowa, o taku tangi, a kahore koe e rongo? e karanga atu ana ahau ki a koe mo te tutu, a kahore koe e whakaora.

3 He aha koe i whakakite mai ai i te kino ki ahau? he aha koe i titiro ai ki te pakeketanga? he pahua hoki, he tutu tenei kei toku aroaro, na he totohe tenei, a kei te oho ake he ngangare.

4 Na reira kahakore noa iho te ture, kore tonu ake e puta te whakawa; e karapotia ana hoki te tika e te kino: na reira, te putanga o te whakawa, he parori ke.

5 Titiro atu ki nga tauiwi, matakitaki, kia nui te miharo; no te mea kei te mahi ahau i tetahi mahi i o koutou ra, he mea e kore e whakaponohia, ki te korerotia atu.

6 No te mea tenei ka ara i ahau nga Karari, taua iwi nanakia ra, taua iwi hikaka tonu ra, e haerea nei e ratou te whanuitanga o te whenua, kia riro ai i a ratou nga kainga ehara nei i a ratou.

7 He hanga whakamataku ratou, he mea wehi: i ahu tonu ake i a ratou ta ratou na whakawa, me to ratou na rangatiratanga.

8 He tere atu a ratou hoiho i te reparo, he nanakia atu i te wuruhi o te ahiahi: ka tohatoha noa atu o ratou kaieke hoiho: ae ra, ka haere mai ano a ratou kaieke hoiho i tawhiti; ko ta ratou rere rite tonu ki ta te ekara e hohoro ana ki te kai.

9 Ko ratou katoa he mahi nanakia i haere mai ai; ko o ratou kanohi whakamau tonu me te mea ko te hau marangai, me te mea he kirikiri nga whakarau e aohia ana e ratou.

10 Ae ra, e taunu ana ia ki nga kingi, a hei kata mana nga rangatira: ka kata ia ki nga pa taiepa katoa; ka opehia ake hoki he puehu e ia, a riro tonu i a ia.

11 Katahi ia ka wheoro ake ano he hau, ka whiti atu, a ka nahi i te he: ara a ia, te tangata ko tona kaha nei tona atua.

12 He tekia ianei nonamata riro koe, e Ihowa, e toku Atua, e toku Mea Tapu? e kore matou e mate. Kua waiho ia e koe, e Ihowa, hei whakawa; kua whakapumautia ia e koe, e te Kamaka, hei whiu.

13 He kanohi ma rawa ou, e kore koe e titiro ki te kino, e kore ano e ahei kia matakitaki koe ki te kino: he aha koe i matakitaki ai ki te hunga tinihanga, i whakarongo puku ai i te mea ka horomia e te tangata kino te tangata e tika rawa ana i a ia?

14 He aha nga tangata i meinga ai e koe kia rite ki nga ika o te moana, ki nga mea ngokingoki kahore nei o ratou kaiwhakahaere tikanga?

15 Ko ratou katoa tangohia ake e ia ki te matau, ka mau i a ia ki roto ki tana kupenga, a kokoa ana ki tana rou; na reira koa ana ia, whakamanamana ana.

16 Koia ia i whakahere ai ki tana kupenga, i tahu whakakakara ai ki tana rou; no te mea na aua mea i whai ngako ai tona wahi, i momona ai tana kai.

17 He mea ano ranei tera e whakawateatia ai e ia tana kupenga, a kore iho e tohungia nga iwi e patua tonutia ana?