# General Information:

Habakkuk continues his prayer to God.

# Destruction and violence are before me

The words "destruction" and "violence" can be translated with a verbal phrase. The idiom "before me" means that Habakkuk witnesses these things happening. AT: "I witness people destroying things and acting violently" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])

# contention rises up

The word "contention" refers to conflict between people and can be translated with a verbal phrase. Habakkuk speaks of there being more contention between people as if contention rises up. AT: "there is more conflict between people" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# the law is weakened

Habakkuk speaks of people not obeying or enforcing the law as if they had made the law weak and unable to act. AT: "no one enforces the law" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# the wicked surround the righteous

Habakkuk speaks of wicked people causing righteous people to suffer injustice as if the wicked people surrounded the righteous people. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-nominaladj]])

# false justice goes out

Habakkuk speaks of judges giving decisions that they say are just but that are not as if "false justice" were going out to the people. AT: "judges give verdicts that are not just" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/iniquity]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/strife]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/raise]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/lawofmoses]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/justice]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/evil]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/righteous]]