Add parallel Print Page Options

Habakkuk’s Prayer of Faith

A prayer by the prophet Habakkuk, set to music.[a]

Lord, as I listen to what has been said about you,
    I am afraid.
Lord, revive your work throughout all of our lives—
    reveal yourself[b] throughout all of our lives—
when you[c] are angry,
    remember compassion.

God comes from Teman[d]
    the Holy One from Mount Paran.[e]
Interlude
His glory spreads throughout the heavens,
    and praises about him fill the earth.
His radiance is like sunlight;
    beams of light shine[f] from his hand,
        where his strength lays hidden.
Before him pestilence walks,
    and disease follows behind him.[g]

He stood up and shook the land;
    with his stare he startled the nations.
The age-old mountains were shattered,
    and the ancient hilltops bowed down.

His ways are eternal.

I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
    and the tent curtains of the land of Midian in anguish.
Was the Lord displeased with the rivers?
    Was your anger directed[h] against the watercourses
        or your wrath against the sea?
Indeed, you rode upon your horses,
    upon your chariots of deliverance.
Your bow was exposed,
    and your[i] arrows targeted by command.
Interlude
        You split the earth with rivers.
10 When the mountains looked upon you, they trembled;
    the overflowing water passed by,
the ocean shouted,
    and its waves[j] surged upward.
11 The sun and moon stand still in their orbits;
    at the glint of your arrows they speed along,
        even at the gleam of your flashing spear.
12 You march through the land in righteous[k] indignation;
    you tread down the nations in anger.
13 You marched out to deliver your people,
    to deliver with your anointed.
You struck the head of the house of the wicked;
    you stripped him naked from head to foot.
Interlude

14 With his own lances you pierced the heads of his warriors,
    who came out like a windstorm to scatter us[l]
        their joy is to devour the afflicted who are in hiding.
15 You rode on the sea with your horses,
    even riding[m] the crested waves of mighty waters.

Habakkuk’s Response

16 I heard and I trembled within.
    My lips quivered at the noise.
My legs gave way beneath me,[n]
    and I trembled.

Nevertheless, I await the day of distress
    that will dawn on our invaders.

17 Even though the fig tree does not blossom,
    and there are no grapes on the vines;
even if the olive harvest fails,
    and the fields produce nothing edible;
even if the flock is snatched from the sheepfold,
    and there is no herd in the stalls—
18 as for me, I will rejoice in the Lord.
    I will find my joy in the God who delivers me.
19 The Lord God is my strength—
    he will make my feet like those of a deer,
        equipping me to tread on my mountain heights.

For the choir director:

On my stringed instruments.

Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 3:1 Lit. prayer upon Shigionoth
  2. Habakkuk 3:2 The Heb. lacks yourself
  3. Habakkuk 3:2 The Heb. lacks you
  4. Habakkuk 3:3 I.e. an Edomite desert town
  5. Habakkuk 3:3 I.e. in the Sinai desert
  6. Habakkuk 3:4 The Heb. lacks shine
  7. Habakkuk 3:5 Lit. follows at his feet
  8. Habakkuk 3:8 The Heb. lacks directed
  9. Habakkuk 3:9 The Heb. lacks your
  10. Habakkuk 3:10 Lit. hands
  11. Habakkuk 3:12 The Heb. lacks righteous
  12. Habakkuk 3:14 Lit. me
  13. Habakkuk 3:15 The Heb. lacks even riding
  14. Habakkuk 3:16 Lit. Rottenness enters my bones

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.