Habakkuk 3
English Standard Version
Habakkuk's Prayer
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.
2 O Lord, (A)I have heard the report of you,
and (B)your work, O Lord, do I fear.
In the midst of the years (C)revive it;
in the midst of the years make it known;
(D)in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from (E)Teman,
(F)and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah
His splendor covered the heavens,
and the earth was full of his praise.
4 (G)His brightness was like the light;
rays flashed from his hand;
and there he veiled his power.
5 (H)Before him went pestilence,
and plague followed (I)at his heels.[a]
6 He stood (J)and measured the earth;
he looked and shook the nations;
then the (K)eternal mountains (L)were scattered;
the everlasting hills sank low.
His were (M)the everlasting ways.
7 I saw the tents of (N)Cushan in affliction;
(O)the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
8 (P)Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord?
Was your anger against the rivers,
(Q)or your indignation against the sea,
(R)when you rode on your horses,
(S)on your chariot of salvation?
9 You stripped the sheath from your bow,
calling for many arrows.[b] Selah
(T)You split the earth with rivers.
10 (U)The mountains saw you and writhed;
the raging waters swept on;
(V)the deep gave forth its voice;
(W)it lifted its hands on high.
11 (X)The sun and moon stood still in their place
(Y)at the light of your arrows as they sped,
at the flash of your glittering spear.
12 (Z)You marched through the earth in fury;
(AA)you threshed the nations in anger.
13 (AB)You went out for the salvation of your people,
for the salvation of (AC)your anointed.
(AD)You crushed the head of the house of the wicked,
laying him bare from thigh to neck.[c] Selah
14 You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors,
who came like a whirlwind to scatter me,
rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret.
15 (AE)You trampled the sea with your horses,
the surging of mighty waters.
16 (AF)I hear, and (AG)my body trembles;
my lips quiver at the sound;
(AH)rottenness enters into my bones;
my legs tremble beneath me.
Yet (AI)I will quietly wait for the day of trouble
to come upon people who invade us.
Habakkuk Rejoices in the Lord
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 (AJ)yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
(AK)I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
(AL)he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me (AM)tread on my (AN)high places.
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 3:5 Hebrew feet
- Habakkuk 3:9 The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain
- Habakkuk 3:13 The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain
- Habakkuk 3:19 Hebrew my stringed
Habakkuk 3
Common English Bible
The Lord’s victory
3 The prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth:
2 Lord, I have heard your reputation.
I have seen your work.
Over time, revive it.
Over time, make it known.
Though angry, remember compassion.
3 God comes from Teman
and the holy one from the mountain of Paran. Selah
His majesty covers the heavens
and his praise fills the earth.
4 His radiance is like the sunlight,
with rays flashing from his hand.
That is the hiding place of his power.
5 Pestilence walks in front of him.
Plague marches at his feet.
6 He stops and measures the earth.
He looks and sets out against the nations.
The everlasting mountains collapse;
the eternal hills bow down;
the eternal paths belong to him.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan under duress.
The curtains of the land of Midian were quaking.
8 Was the Lord raging against the rivers?
Or was your anger directed against the rivers?
Or was your fury directed against the sea
when you rode on your horses
or rode your chariots to victory?
9 You raise up your empty bow,
uttering curses for the arrows.[a] Selah
With rivers you split open the earth.
10 The mountains see you and writhe.
A flood of water rushes through.
The deep utters its voice;
it raises its hands aloft.[b]
11 Sun and moon stand still high above.
With the light, your arrows shoot,
your spear at the flash of lightning.
12 In fury, you stride the earth;
in anger you tread the nations.
13 You go out to save your people.
For the salvation of your anointed
you smashed the head of the house of wickedness,
laying bare the foundation up to the neck. Selah
14 You pierce the head of his warrior with his own spear.
His warriors are driven off,
those who take delight in oppressing us,[c]
those who take pleasure in secretly devouring the poor.
15 You make your horses tread on the sea;
turbulent waters foam.
The prophet responds
16 I hear and my insides tremble.
My lips quiver at the sound.
Rottenness enters my bones.
I tremble while I stand,[d]
while I wait for the day of distress to come against the people who attack us.
17 Though the fig tree doesn’t bloom,
and there’s no produce on the vine;
though the olive crop withers,
and the fields don’t provide food;
though the sheep are cut off from the pen,
and there are no cattle in the stalls;
18 I will rejoice in the Lord.
I will rejoice in the God of my deliverance.
19 The Lord God is my strength.
He will set my feet like the deer.
He will let me walk upon the heights.[e]
To the director, with stringed instruments
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 3:9 Heb uncertain
- Habakkuk 3:10 Heb uncertain
- Habakkuk 3:14 Or me
- Habakkuk 3:16 Or I tremble beneath me.
- Habakkuk 3:19 Or my heights
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible