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A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk according to Shigionoth.

The Prophet’s Prayer

O Lord, I have heard of your renown,
    and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work.
In our own time revive it;
    in our own time make it known;
    in wrath may you remember mercy.
God came from Teman,
    the Holy One from Mount Paran.Selah
His glory covered the heavens,
    and the earth was full of his praise.
The brightness was like the sun;
    rays came forth from his hand,
    where his power lay hidden.
Before him went pestilence,
    and plague followed close behind.
He stopped and shook the earth;
    he looked and made the nations tremble.
The eternal mountains were shattered;
    along his ancient pathways
    the everlasting hills sank low.
I saw the tents of Cushan under affliction;
    the tent-curtains of the land of Midian trembled.
Was your wrath against the rivers,[a] O Lord?
    Or your anger against the rivers,[b]
    or your rage against the sea,[c]
when you drove your horses,
    your chariots to victory?
You brandished your naked bow,
    sated[d] were the arrows at your command.[e]Selah
    You split the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw you, and writhed;
    a torrent of water swept by;
the deep gave forth its voice.
    The sun[f] raised high its hands;
11 the moon[g] stood still in its exalted place,
    at the light of your arrows speeding by,
    at the gleam of your flashing spear.
12 In fury you trod the earth,
    in anger you trampled nations.
13 You came forth to save your people,
    to save your anointed.
You crushed the head of the wicked house,
    laying it bare from foundation to roof.[h]Selah
14 You pierced with their[i] own arrows the head[j] of his warriors,[k]
    who came like a whirlwind to scatter us,[l]
    gloating as if ready to devour the poor who were in hiding.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
    churning the mighty waters.

16 I hear, and I tremble within;
    my lips quiver at the sound.
Rottenness enters into my bones,
    and my steps tremble[m] beneath me.
I wait quietly for the day of calamity
    to come upon the people who attack us.

Trust and Joy in the Midst of Trouble

17 Though the fig tree does not blossom,
    and no fruit is on the vines;
though the produce of the olive fails,
    and the fields yield no food;
though the flock is cut off from the fold,
    and there is no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will exult in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    and makes me tread upon the heights.[n]

To the leader: with stringed[o] instruments.

Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 3:8 Or against River
  2. Habakkuk 3:8 Or against River
  3. Habakkuk 3:8 Or against Sea
  4. Habakkuk 3:9 Cn: Heb oaths
  5. Habakkuk 3:9 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  6. Habakkuk 3:10 Heb It
  7. Habakkuk 3:11 Heb sun, moon
  8. Habakkuk 3:13 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  9. Habakkuk 3:14 Heb his
  10. Habakkuk 3:14 Or leader
  11. Habakkuk 3:14 Vg Compare Gk Syr: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  12. Habakkuk 3:14 Heb me
  13. Habakkuk 3:16 Cn Compare Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  14. Habakkuk 3:19 Heb my heights
  15. Habakkuk 3:19 Heb my stringed

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.