Habakkuk 3
Modern English Version
The Prayer of Habakkuk
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on Shigionoth.
2 O Lord, I have heard the report of You,
and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work
in the midst of the years!
In the midst of these years
make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman,
and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah
His glory covered the heavens,
and the earth was full of His praise.
4 His brightness was like the light;
rays flashed from His hand,
and there His power was hidden.
5 Pestilence went out before Him,
and plague followed His feet.
6 He stood and measured the earth;
He looked and shook the nations.
The eternal mountains were scattered,
the perpetual hills bowed.
His ways are everlasting.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction;
the curtains of the land of Midian trembled.
8 Were you displeased with the rivers, O Lord?
Was Your anger against the rivers,
and was Your wrath against the sea
when You rode on Your horses,
on Your chariots of salvation?
9 You made bare Your bow;
oaths were the arrows at Your command. Selah
You divided the earth with the rivers.
10 The mountains saw You and trembled;
the overflowing water passed by.
The deep lifted its voice,
and lifted its hands on high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in their places;
at the light of Your arrows they went,
at the flash of Your glittering spear.
12 You marched throughout the earth in indignation;
You threshed the nations in anger.
13 You went forth to deliver Your people,
to deliver Your anointed one.
You wounded the head of the house of the wicked,
laying him bare from head to foot. Selah
14 You pierced with his own arrows
the leaders of his villages.
They came like a whirlwind to scatter me;
their rejoicing was like devouring the poor in secret.
15 You trampled the sea with Your horses,
through the wakes of great waters.
16 I heard, and my body trembled;
my lips quivered at the sound;
rottenness entered my bones;
my legs tremble beneath me.
Yet I will wait quietly for the day
when calamity comes on the people invading us.
A Hymn of Faith
17 Though the fig tree does not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines;
though the yield of the olive fails,
and the fields produce no food;
though the flocks are cut off from the fold,
and there be no herd in the stalls—
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like hinds’ feet,
and He will make me walk on my high places.
To the Music Director: with my stringed instruments.
Habakkuk 3
American Standard Version
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, set to Shigionoth.
2 O Jehovah, I have heard [a]the report of thee, and [b]am afraid:
O Jehovah, revive thy work in the midst of the years;
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy.
3 God [c]came from Teman,
And the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah
His glory covered the heavens,
And the earth was full of his praise.
4 And his brightness was as the light;
He had [d]rays coming forth [e]from his hand;
And there was the hiding of his power.
5 Before him went the pestilence,
And [f]fiery bolts went forth at his feet.
6 He stood, and [g]measured the earth;
He beheld, and drove asunder the nations;
And the eternal mountains were scattered;
The everlasting hills did bow;
[h]His goings were as of old.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction;
The curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
8 Was Jehovah displeased with the rivers?
Was thine anger against the rivers,
Or thy wrath against the sea,
That thou didst ride upon thy horses,
Upon thy chariots of salvation?
9 Thy bow was made quite bare;
[i]The oaths to the tribes were a sure word. Selah
Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw thee, and [j]were afraid;
The tempest of waters passed by;
The deep uttered its voice,
And lifted up its hands on high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation,
At the light of thine arrows as they went,
At the shining of thy glittering spear.
12 Thou didst march through the land in indignation;
Thou didst thresh the nations in anger.
13 Thou [k]wentest forth for the salvation of thy people,
[l]For the salvation of thine anointed;
[m]Thou [n]woundest the head out of the house of the wicked man,
Laying bare the foundation even unto the neck. Selah
14 Thou [o]didst pierce with his own staves the head of his [p]warriors:
They came as a whirlwind to scatter me;
Their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
15 Thou [q]didst tread the sea with thy horses,
The [r]heap of mighty waters.
16 I heard, and my body trembled,
My lips quivered at the voice;
Rottenness entereth into my bones, and I tremble in my place;
Because I must wait quietly for the day of trouble,
[s]For the coming up of the people that invadeth us.
17 For though the fig-tree shall not flourish,
Neither shall fruit be in the vines;
The labor of the olive shall fail,
And the fields shall yield no food;
The flock shall be cut off from the fold,
And there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in Jehovah,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 Jehovah, the Lord, is my strength;
And he maketh my feet like hinds’ feet,
And will make me to walk upon my high places.
For the Chief Musician, on my stringed instruments.
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 3:2 Or, thy fame
- Habakkuk 3:2 Or, was
- Habakkuk 3:3 Or, cometh (and similarly to the end of verse 15)
- Habakkuk 3:4 Hebrew horns.
- Habakkuk 3:4 Or, at his side
- Habakkuk 3:5 Or, burning coals
- Habakkuk 3:6 Or, shook
- Habakkuk 3:6 Or, His ways are everlasting
- Habakkuk 3:9 Or, Sworn were the chastisements (Hebrew rods) of thy word
- Habakkuk 3:10 Or, were in pain
- Habakkuk 3:13 Or, art come
- Habakkuk 3:13 Or, For salvation (or, victory) with thine anointed
- Habakkuk 3:13 Or, Thou didst smite off the head from the house etc.
- Habakkuk 3:13 Or, hast wounded
- Habakkuk 3:14 Or, hast pierced
- Habakkuk 3:14 Or, hordes. Or, villages
- Habakkuk 3:15 Or, hast trodden
- Habakkuk 3:15 Or, surge
- Habakkuk 3:16 Or, When there shall come up against the people he that invadeth them
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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