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A PRAYER OF HABACUC THE PROPHET FOR IGNORANCES.

O Lord, I have heard thy hearing, and was afraid. O Lord, thy work, in the midst of the years bring it to life: In the midst of the years thou shalt make it known: when thou art angry, thou wilt remember mercy.

God will come from the south, and the holy one from mount Pharan: His glory covered the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise.

His brightness shall be as the light; horns are in his hands: There is his strength hid:

Death shall go before his face. And the devil shall go forth before his feet.

He stood and measured the earth. He beheld, and melted the nations: and the ancient mountains were crushed to pieces. The hills of the world were bowed down by the journeys of his eternity.

I saw the tents of Ethiopia for their iniquity, the curtains of the land of Madian shall be troubled.

Wast thou angry, O Lord, with the rivers? or was thy wrath upon the rivers? or thy indignation in the sea? Who will ride upon thy horses: and thy chariots are salvation.

Thou wilt surely take up thy bow: according to the oaths which thou hast spoken to the tribes. Thou wilt divide the rivers of the earth.

10 The mountains saw thee, and were grieved: the great body of waters passed away. The deep put forth its voice: the deep lifted up its hands.

11 The sun and the moon stood still in their habitation, in the light of thy arrows, they shall go in the brightness of thy glittering spear.

12 In thy anger thou wilt tread the earth under foot: in thy wrath thou wilt astonish the nations.

13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people: for salvation with thy Christ. Thou struckest the head of the house of the wicked: thou hast laid bare his foundation even to the neck.

14 Thou hast cursed his sceptres, the head of his warriors, them that came out as a whirlwind to scatter me. Their joy was like that of him that devoureth the poor man in secret.

15 Thou madest a way in the sea for thy horses, in the mud of many waters.

16 I have heard and my bowels were troubled: my lips trembled at the voice. Let rottenness enter into my bones, and swarm under me. That I may rest in the day of tribulation: that I may go up to our people that are girded.

17 For the fig tree shall not blossom: and there shall be no spring in the vines. The labour of the olive tree shall fail: and the fields shall yield no food: the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls.

18 But I will rejoice in the Lord: and I will joy in God my Jesus.

19 The Lord God is my strength: and he will make my feet like the feet of harts: and he the conqueror will lead me upon my high places singing psalms.

Habakkuk’s Prayer

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.[a](A)

Lord, I have heard(B) of your fame;
    I stand in awe(C) of your deeds, Lord.(D)
Repeat(E) them in our day,
    in our time make them known;
    in wrath remember mercy.(F)

God came from Teman,(G)
    the Holy One(H) from Mount Paran.[b](I)
His glory covered the heavens(J)
    and his praise filled the earth.(K)
His splendor was like the sunrise;(L)
    rays flashed from his hand,
    where his power(M) was hidden.
Plague(N) went before him;
    pestilence followed his steps.
He stood, and shook the earth;
    he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled(O)
    and the age-old hills(P) collapsed(Q)
    but he marches on forever.(R)
I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
    the dwellings of Midian(S) in anguish.(T)

Were you angry with the rivers,(U) Lord?
    Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea(V)
    when you rode your horses
    and your chariots to victory?(W)
You uncovered your bow,
    you called for many arrows.(X)
You split the earth with rivers;
10     the mountains saw you and writhed.(Y)
Torrents of water swept by;
    the deep roared(Z)
    and lifted its waves(AA) on high.

11 Sun and moon stood still(AB) in the heavens
    at the glint of your flying arrows,(AC)
    at the lightning(AD) of your flashing spear.
12 In wrath you strode through the earth
    and in anger you threshed(AE) the nations.
13 You came out(AF) to deliver(AG) your people,
    to save your anointed(AH) one.
You crushed(AI) the leader of the land of wickedness,
    you stripped him from head to foot.
14 With his own spear you pierced his head
    when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,(AJ)
gloating as though about to devour
    the wretched(AK) who were in hiding.
15 You trampled the sea(AL) with your horses,
    churning the great waters.(AM)

16 I heard and my heart pounded,
    my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
    and my legs trembled.(AN)
Yet I will wait patiently(AO) for the day of calamity
    to come on the nation invading us.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,(AP)
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,(AQ)
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,(AR)
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.(AS)

19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;(AT)
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    he enables me to tread on the heights.(AU)

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 3:1 Probably a literary or musical term
  2. Habakkuk 3:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the middle of verse 9 and at the end of verse 13.