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

The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. The Prophet’s Question

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 You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save.

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

Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises.

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

Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds. The Lord ’s Reply

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

“Look among the nations and watch— Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.

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

For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.

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

They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from 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 leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.

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

“They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. They gather captives like sand.

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

They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it.

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

Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.” The Prophet’s Second Question

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؟

Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked 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؟

You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?

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

Why do You make men like fish of the sea, Like 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 a hook, They catch them in their net, And gather them in their dragnet. 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 to their net, And burn incense to their dragnet; Because by them their share is sumptuous And their food plentiful.

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

Shall they therefore empty their net, And continue to slay nations without pity?