1 ه َذِهِ هِيَ الرِّسالَةُ الَّتِي أتَتْ إلَى حَبَقُّوقَ النَّبِيِّ. شَكْوَى حَبَقُّوق الأُولَى

The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

2 ي ا اللهُ ، إلَى مَتَى أصرُخُ إلَيكَ فَلا تَستَجِيبُ؟ إلَى مَتَى أصْرُخُ إلَيكَ وَأقُولُ: «هُناكَ ظُلْمٌ!» وَأنتَ لا تُنقِذُ وَلا تُرِيحُ؟

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

3 ل ِماذا تُرِينِي شَرّاً وَضِيقاً؟ الخَرابُ وَالظُّلْمُ أمامْي، وَخِصامٌ وَمُشاجَراتٌ تَثُورُ.

Why 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.

4 ل ِذا فَالشَّرِيعَةُ مُهمَلَةٌ، وَالعَدلُ لا يَسُودُ. وَالأحكامُ تَصدُرُ مُلتَوِيَةً، لِأنَّ الشِّرِّيرَ يُحِيطُ بِالبارِّ. جَوابُ الله

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

5 « انظُرُوا بَينَ الأُمَمِ وَتَعَجَّبُوا! لانَّهُ سَيُعمَلُ عَمَلٌ فِي أيّامِكُمْ لَنْ تُصَدِّقُوهُ حَتَّى لَو اخبَرَكُمْ أحَدٌ!

Behold 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.

6 ل ِأنَّنِي أُنْهِضُ البابِلِيِّينَ الأُمَّةَ اللَّئِيمَةَ المُندَفِعَةَ الَّتِي تَسِيرُ إلَى أطرافِ الأرْضِ لِتَمتَلِكَ مَساكِنَ لَيْسَتْ لَها.

For, 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.

7 إ نَّها مُخِيفَةٌ وَمُرعِبَةٌ. وَمِقياسُ عَدالَتِها وَشَرَفِها يَتَغيَّرُ وَفْقاً لِمَصلَحَتِها.

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

8 خ َيلُها أسرَعُ مِنَ النُّمُورِ وَأشرَسُ مِنْ ذِئابِ البَرِّيَّةِ، تَرْفَعُ حَوافِرَها حِينَ تَقفِزُ. تَأتِي مِنْ أرْضٍ بَعِيدَةٍ، وَتَطِيرُ كَالنُّسُورِ المُسرِعَةِ إلَى الأكلِ.

Their 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.

9 ج اءَتْ جَميعاً لِلعُنفِ. وَوُجُوهُها مُثَبَّتَةٌ نَحْوَ هَدَفِها، لِتَجْمَعَ أسْرَى بِعَدَدِ الرَّملِ.»

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

10 ت َستَهزِئُ بابِلُ بِالمُلُوكِ، وَتَسْخَرُ بِالقادَةِ. تَستَهِينُ بِكُلِّ مَدِينَةٍ مُحَصَّنَةٍ. وَتُحاصِرُها بِحَواجِزَ مِنَ التُّرابِ.

And 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.

11 ث ُمَّ يَتَغَيَّرُ اتِّجاهُها كَما يَتَغَيَّرُ اتِّجاهُ الرِّيحِ، وَتُغادِرُ. فَقُلْتُ فِي دَهشَتِي: «بابِلُ تَعتَبِرُ قُوَّتَها إلَهاً لَها!» شَكوَى حَبَقُّوقَ الثّانِيَة

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

12 أ لَسْتَ مَوجُوداً مُنذُ الأزَلِ؟ إلَهِي القُدُّوسُ، أنتَ لا تَمُوتُ. يا اللهُ ، هَلِ اختَرْتَ بابِلَ لِتَحقِيقِ عَدالَتِكَ؟ يا صَخرَتِي، هَلْ أسَّسْتَها لِتَأدِيبِ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ؟

Art 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.

13 ع َيناكَ أطهَرُ مِنْ أنْ تَنظُرا إلَى الشَّرِّ، وَأنتَ لا تَرغَبُ فِي رُؤيَةِ الضِّيقِ. فَلِماذا تَتَسامَحُ مَعَ المُخادِعِينَ؟ لِماذا تَكُونُ صامِتاً حِينَ يَبتَلِعُ الشِّرِّيرُ مَنْ هُوَ أبَرُّ مِنْهُ؟

Thou 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?

14 ج َعَلْتَ النّاسَ كَسَمَكِ البَحْرِ، كَالمَخلُوقاتِ البَحرِيَّةِ الَّتِي لا قائِدَ لَها.

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

15 ت ُمسِكُ بابِلُ الجَمِيعَ بِصُنّارَةِ السَّمَكِ. وَتَسحَبُهُمْ بِشَبَكَتِها، وَتَجمَعُهُمْ إلَى مِصْيَدَتِها، وَتَفرَحُ بِذَلِكَ فَرَحاً كَبِيراً.

They 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.

16 ل ِذَلِكَ، تُقَدِّمُ ذَبِيحَةً لِشَبَكَتِها، وَتُحرِقُ بَخُوراً لِمِصيَدَتِها. لِأنَّ الفَضلَ يَعُودُ إلَى شِباكِها فِي نَصِيبِها الكَبِيرِ وَطَعامِها الدَّسِمِ.

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

17 ف َهَلْ سَتَستَمِرُّ فِي إفراغِ شَبَكَتِها وَفِي ِقَتلِ الأُمَمِ بِلا شَفَقَةٍ؟

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