# 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. Alternate translation: "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]])

# twisted justice goes out

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

# twisted justice

Justice that is "twisted" is injustice, the opposite of "straight justice," which is truly just. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])