Habakkuk 3
Christian Standard Bible
Habakkuk’s Third Prayer
3 A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk. According to Shigionoth.[a](A)
2 Lord, I have heard the report about you;
Lord, I stand in awe of your deeds.(B)
Revive your work in these years;
make it known in these years.
In your wrath remember mercy!(C)
3 God comes from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.(D)Selah
His splendor covers the heavens,
and the earth is full of his praise.(E)
4 His brilliance is like light;
rays are flashing from his hand.
This is where his power is hidden.
5 Plague goes before him,
and pestilence follows in his steps.
6 He stands and shakes[b] the earth;(F)
he looks and startles the nations.
The age-old mountains break apart;
the ancient hills sink down.(G)
His pathways are ancient.(H)
7 I see the tents of Cushan[c] in distress;
the tent curtains of the land of Midian tremble.
8 Are you angry at the rivers, Lord?
Is your wrath against the rivers?
Or is your fury against the sea
when you ride on your horses,
your victorious chariot?(I)
9 You took the sheath from your bow;
the arrows are ready[d] to be used with an oath.[e](J)Selah
You split the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains see you and shudder;(K)
a downpour of water sweeps by.
The deep roars with its voice(L)
and lifts its waves[f] high.
11 Sun and moon stand still in their lofty residence,(M)
at the flash of your flying arrows,
at the brightness of your shining spear.
12 You march across the earth with indignation;
you trample down the nations in wrath.(N)
13 You come out to save your people,(O)
to save your anointed.[g]
You crush the leader of the house of the wicked
and strip him from foot[h] to neck.Selah
14 You pierce his head
with his own spears;
his warriors storm out to scatter us,
gloating as if ready to secretly devour the weak.
15 You tread the sea with your horses,
stirring up the vast water.(P)
Habakkuk’s Confidence in God Expressed
16 I heard, and I trembled within;(Q)
my lips quivered at the sound.
Rottenness entered my bones;
I trembled where I stood.
Now I must quietly wait for the day of distress(R)
to come against the people invading us.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there is no fruit on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though the flocks disappear from the pen
and there are no herds in the stalls,
18 yet I will celebrate in the Lord;
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!(S)
19 The Lord my Lord is my strength;(T)
he makes my feet like those of a deer(U)
and enables me to walk on mountain heights!(V)
For the choir director: on[i] stringed instruments.
Habakkuk 3
International Standard Version
Habakkuk’s Prayer of Faith
3 A prayer by the prophet Habakkuk, set to music.[a]
2 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.
3 God comes from Teman[d]—
the Holy One from Mount Paran.[e]
His glory spreads throughout the heavens,
and praises about him fill the earth.
4 His radiance is like sunlight;
beams of light shine[f] from his hand,
where his strength lays hidden.
5 Before him pestilence walks,
and disease follows behind him.[g]
6 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.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
and the tent curtains of the land of Midian in anguish.
8 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.
9 Your bow was exposed,
and your[i] arrows targeted by command.
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.
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
- Habakkuk 3:1 Lit. prayer upon Shigionoth
- Habakkuk 3:2 The Heb. lacks yourself
- Habakkuk 3:2 The Heb. lacks you
- Habakkuk 3:3 I.e. an Edomite desert town
- Habakkuk 3:3 I.e. in the Sinai desert
- Habakkuk 3:4 The Heb. lacks shine
- Habakkuk 3:5 Lit. follows at his feet
- Habakkuk 3:8 The Heb. lacks directed
- Habakkuk 3:9 The Heb. lacks your
- Habakkuk 3:10 Lit. hands
- Habakkuk 3:12 The Heb. lacks righteous
- Habakkuk 3:14 Lit. me
- Habakkuk 3:15 The Heb. lacks even riding
- Habakkuk 3:16 Lit. Rottenness enters my bones
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