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.

10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,(A) and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.(B) People gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed(C) the God of heaven(D) because of their pains and their sores,(E) but they refused to repent of what they had done.(F)

12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,(G) and its water was dried up to prepare the way(H) for the kings from the East.(I) 13 Then I saw three impure spirits(J) that looked like frogs;(K) they came out of the mouth of the dragon,(L) out of the mouth of the beast(M) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(N) 14 They are demonic spirits(O) that perform signs,(P) and they go out to the kings of the whole world,(Q) to gather them for the battle(R) on the great day(S) of God Almighty.

15 “Look, I come like a thief!(T) Blessed is the one who stays awake(U) and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”(V)

16 Then they gathered the kings together(W) to the place that in Hebrew(X) is called Armageddon.(Y)

17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,(Z) and out of the temple(AA) came a loud voice(AB) from the throne, saying, “It is done!”(AC) 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder(AD) and a severe earthquake.(AE) No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth,(AF) so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city(AG) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered(AH) Babylon the Great(AI) and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.(AJ) 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.(AK) 21 From the sky huge hailstones,(AL) each weighing about a hundred pounds,[a] fell on people. And they cursed God(AM) on account of the plague of hail,(AN) because the plague was so terrible.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 16:21 Or about 45 kilograms

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