Habakkuk 3
Lexham English Bible
The Prayer of Habakkuk
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.
2 O Yahweh, I have heard the report of you;
O Yahweh, I stand in awe of your works.
In the midst of the years, revive it!
In the midst of the years, make it known!
In wrath, may you remember to show compassion.
3 God came from Teman;
the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah
His splendor covers the heavens,
and his praise fills the earth.
4 And his brightness was like the light;
flashing rays came from his hand for him;
And there is the covering of his strength.
5 Before him went Disease,[a]
and Pestilence[b] went out at his feet.
6 He stood and measured the earth;
he looked and made the nations tremble.
Then the mountains of old were shattered;
the hills of old collapsed.
The ways of old belong to him.
7 Under affliction I saw the tents of Cushan;
the tent curtains of the land of Midian trembled.
8 Was the anger of Yahweh against the rivers?
Was your wrath against the rivers,
or your fury against the sea,
when you mounted upon your horses,
upon your victory chariot?
9 You laid bare the nakedness of your bow,
swearing oaths with the arrows of your word.
You split the earth with rivers.
10 When the mountains saw you they writhed;
a torrent of waters swept by;
the deep gave its voice;
it raised its hands on high.
11 Sun and moon stood still in their place;
at the light of your arrows they moved about;
at the gleam of the flashing of your spear.
12 In fury you marched through the earth;
in anger you trampled the nations.
13 You went forth for the salvation of your people,
for the salvation of your anointed.
You crushed the head of the house of wickedness,
laying bare from the foundation to the top.[c]
14 You pierced the head of his warriors with his own arrows;
they came like a whirlwind to scatter me,
their exultation like one who devours the afflicted in ambush.
15 You trampled upon the sea with your horses,
the churning of many waters.
16 I hear and my stomach shakes;
my lips quiver at the sound;
infection enters my bones;
that which is beneath me trembles;
I wait quietly for the day of trouble
to come upon the people attacking us.
17 Though the fig tree does not blossom,
nor there be fruit on the vines;
the yield of the olive tree fails,
and the cultivated fields do not yield food;
the flock is cut off from the animal pen,
and there is no cattle in the stalls,
18 Yet I will rejoice in Yahweh;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.
19 Yahweh, my Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer;
he causes me to walk on my high places.
To the choirmaster with stringed instruments.
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 3:5 The Hebrew term is also the name of a Canaanite deity
- Habakkuk 3:5 The Hebrew term is also the name of a Canaanite deity
- Habakkuk 3:13 Or “to the neck”
Habakkuk 3
New Living Translation
Habakkuk’s Prayer
3 This prayer was sung by the prophet Habakkuk[a]:
2 I have heard all about you, Lord.
I am filled with awe by your amazing works.
In this time of our deep need,
help us again as you did in years gone by.
And in your anger,
remember your mercy.
3 I see God moving across the deserts from Edom,[b]
the Holy One coming from Mount Paran.[c]
His brilliant splendor fills the heavens,
and the earth is filled with his praise.
4 His coming is as brilliant as the sunrise.
Rays of light flash from his hands,
where his awesome power is hidden.
5 Pestilence marches before him;
plague follows close behind.
6 When he stops, the earth shakes.
When he looks, the nations tremble.
He shatters the everlasting mountains
and levels the eternal hills.
He is the Eternal One![d]
7 I see the people of Cushan in distress,
and the nation of Midian trembling in terror.
8 Was it in anger, Lord, that you struck the rivers
and parted the sea?
Were you displeased with them?
No, you were sending your chariots of salvation!
9 You brandished your bow
and your quiver of arrows.
You split open the earth with flowing rivers.
10 The mountains watched and trembled.
Onward swept the raging waters.
The mighty deep cried out,
lifting its hands in submission.
11 The sun and moon stood still in the sky
as your brilliant arrows flew
and your glittering spear flashed.
12 You marched across the land in anger
and trampled the nations in your fury.
13 You went out to rescue your chosen people,
to save your anointed ones.
You crushed the heads of the wicked
and stripped their bones from head to toe.
14 With his own weapons,
you destroyed the chief of those
who rushed out like a whirlwind,
thinking Israel would be easy prey.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
and the mighty waters piled high.
16 I trembled inside when I heard this;
my lips quivered with fear.
My legs gave way beneath me,[e]
and I shook in terror.
I will wait quietly for the coming day
when disaster will strike the people who invade us.
17 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,[f]
able to tread upon the heights.
(For the choir director: This prayer is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)
Footnotes
- 3:1 Hebrew adds according to shigionoth, probably indicating the musical setting for the prayer.
- 3:3a Hebrew Teman.
- 3:3b Hebrew adds selah; also in 3:9, 13. The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain; it is probably a musical or literary term.
- 3:6 Or The ancient paths belong to him.
- 3:16 Hebrew Decay entered my bones.
- 3:19 Or He gives me the speed of a deer.
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