How Long, My Papa?
One prophet dey argue with him Papa with open heart why evil dey go without punishment—and e move from complain reach one of the boldest talk of trust for scripture.
1 1Na di message wey Habakkuk di prophet see. 2How long, my Papa, I go dey cry for help and you no go listen? I dey cry give you, “Violence!” but you no dey save.
Violence Dey For Every Side
3Why you dey make me dey look dis kind wickedness, and why you just dey watch as dem dey do wrong? Destruction and violence dey my front; quarrel dey rise up and fight dey spread for every side. 4So di law don paralyze, and dem no dey ever do justice. Bad people surround di correct-and-holy person; so justice dey come out crooked.
Watch Wetin I Dey Do
5“Look among di nations, and watch—make e shock you well well! For I dey do work for your days wey you no go believe if dem tell you. 6For look—I dey raise up di Babylon people, dat bitter and fast-fast nation, wey dey march cross di whole wide earth to grab houses wey no be their own. 7Dem dey make person fear and shake; their justice and their pride dey come from nobody but their own self. 8Their horses dey run pass leopard, dem fierce pass wolf for evening time. Their horse-riders dey charge go front; their horse-riders dey come from far, dey fly like eagle wey quick to chop. 9All of dem dey come for violence, every face dey press go front; dem dey gather prisoners like sand. 10Dem dey laugh kings, and rulers na joke to dem. Dem dey laugh every strong fortress; dem dey build sand-ramp and take am. 11Den dem dey rush pass like wind and continue dey go—guilty men, wey their own strength na their god.”
You No Dey From Everlasting?
12You no dey from everlasting, my Papa, my Holy One? We no go die. My Papa, na you don appoint dem for judgment; my Rock, na you don set dem up to correct us. a a v12 Di Rock na one of di earliest poetry names for our Papa for di Old Testament — solid, wey no fit shake, faithful for Covenant. Habakkuk turn go di Rock for assurance even as judgment dey fall. 13Your eyes too clean to look evil, and you no fit dey watch wrong. Why den you dey look di treacherous people and keep quiet when bad person dey swallow di one wey dey do correct-and-holy way pass am? 14You don make mankind like fish for di sea, like crawling things wey no get any ruler. 15E dey bring all of dem up with hook; e dey drag dem comot with im net; e dey gather dem inside im dragnet, and so e dey rejoice and dey glad. 16Nabe why e dey sacrifice give im net and dey make offering give im dragnet; because na through dem e dey rich and im food plenty. 17So e go just dey empty im net dey go, dey kill nations without mercy forever?
