Habakkuk 3
Legacy Standard Bible
Yet I Will Exalt in Yahweh
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to [a]Shigionoth.
2 O Yahweh, I have (A)heard [b]the report about You, and [c]I (B)fear.
O Yahweh, (C)revive (D)Your work in the midst of the years;
In the midst of the years make it known;
In rage remember (E)compassion.
3 God comes from (F)Teman,
And the Holy One from Mount (G)Paran. Selah.
His (H)splendor covers the heavens,
And the (I)earth is full of His praise.
4 His (J)brightness is like the sunlight;
He has rays flashing from His hand,
And there is the hiding of His (K)strength.
5 Before Him goes (L)pestilence,
And (M)plague comes [d]after Him.
6 He stood and [e]measured out the earth;
He looked and (N)startled the nations.
So the perpetual mountains were shattered;
The ancient hills [f]collapsed.
His ways are (O)everlasting.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan under (P)wickedness;
The tent curtains of the land of (Q)Midian were trembling.
8 Did Yahweh’s fury burn against the (R)rivers,
Or was Your anger against the rivers,
Or was Your wrath against the (S)sea,
That You (T)rode on Your horses,
On Your (U)chariots of salvation?
9 Your (V)bow was made bare;
Rods were sworn unto battle by word. Selah.
You (W)split the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw You and writhed;
The downpour of waters passed by.
The deep (X)gave forth its voice;
It lifted high its hands.
11 (Y)Sun and moon stood in their lofty places;
They went away at the (Z)light of Your arrows,
At the brightness of Your flashing spear.
12 In indignation You (AA)marched through the earth;
In anger You [g](AB)trampled the nations.
13 You went forth for the (AC)salvation of Your people,
For salvation with Your (AD)anointed.
You crushed the (AE)head of the house of the wicked
To lay him bare from [h]thigh to neck. Selah.
14 You pierced with his (AF)own sharpened rods
The head of his [i]throngs.
They (AG)stormed in to scatter [j]us;
Their exultation was like those
Who (AH)devour the afflicted in secret.
15 You (AI)tread on the sea with Your horses,
On the (AJ)surge of many waters.
16 I heard, and my [k]inward parts (AK)trembled;
At the sound my lips tingled.
Decay enters my (AL)bones,
And in my place I tremble.
Because I must (AM)wait quietly for the day of distress,
[l]For the (AN)people to arise who will invade us.
17 Though the (AO)fig tree should not blossom
And there be no produce on the vines,
Though the yield of the (AP)olive should fail
And the fields yield no food,
Though the (AQ)flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be (AR)no cattle in the stalls,
18 Yet I will (AS)exult in Yahweh;
I will (AT)rejoice in the (AU)God of my salvation.
19 Yahweh, the Lord, is my [m](AV)strength,
And (AW)He has set my feet like hinds’ feet
And makes me tread on my (AX)high places.
[n]For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 3:1 Possibly a wild, passionate, and animated song
- Habakkuk 3:2 Or Your report
- Habakkuk 3:2 Or I stand in awe of Your work, O Yahweh; In the midst of the years revive it,
- Habakkuk 3:5 Lit at His feet
- Habakkuk 3:6 Or shook
- Habakkuk 3:6 Or sank down; lit bowed
- Habakkuk 3:12 Or thresh
- Habakkuk 3:13 Lit foundation
- Habakkuk 3:14 Or warriors, villagers
- Habakkuk 3:14 Lit me
- Habakkuk 3:16 Lit belly
- Habakkuk 3:16 Or To come upon the people who will
- Habakkuk 3:19 Lit valor
- Habakkuk 3:19 Belonging to the choir director’s anthology
Habakkuk 3
New King James Version
The Prophet’s Prayer
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on [a]Shigionoth.
2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman,
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;
He had rays flashing from His hand,
And there His power was hidden.
5 Before Him went pestilence,
And fever followed at His feet.
6 He stood and measured the earth;
He looked and startled the nations.
(A)And the everlasting 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 O Lord, were You displeased with the rivers,
Was Your anger against the rivers,
Was Your wrath against the sea,
That You rode on Your horses,
Your chariots of salvation?
9 Your bow was made quite ready;
Oaths were sworn over Your [b]arrows. Selah
You divided the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw You and trembled;
The overflowing of the water passed by.
The deep uttered its voice,
And (B)lifted its hands on high.
11 The (C)sun and moon stood still in their habitation;
At the light of Your arrows they went,
At the shining of Your glittering spear.
12 You marched through the land in indignation;
You [c]trampled the nations in anger.
13 You went forth for the salvation of Your people,
For salvation with Your Anointed.
You struck the head from the house of the wicked,
By laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah
14 You thrust through with his own arrows
The head of his villages.
They came out like a whirlwind to scatter me;
Their rejoicing was like feasting on the poor in secret.
15 (D)You walked through the sea with Your horses,
Through the heap of great waters.
16 When I heard, (E)my body trembled;
My lips quivered at the voice;
Rottenness entered my bones;
And I trembled in myself,
That I might rest in the day of trouble.
When he comes up to the people,
He will invade them with his troops.
A Hymn of Faith
17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
18 Yet I will (F)rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 [d]The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like (G)deer’s feet,
And He will make me (H)walk on my high hills.
To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 3:1 Exact meaning unknown
- Habakkuk 3:9 Lit. tribes or rods, cf. v. 14
- Habakkuk 3:12 Or threshed
- Habakkuk 3:19 Heb. YHWH Adonai
Habakkuk 3
The Voice
3 This is the prayer that Habakkuk the prophet sang 2 to the Eternal One.
When Habakkuk looks around him, it seems the good suffer and the wicked prosper. The Babylonian Empire is threatening to destroy Judah, the Egyptian armies have abandoned their treaty with Jerusalem, and within Judah some of God’s own people are abandoning Him for personal gain. But when he asks God why the good suffer, God explains that in the long run, they don’t. God is in control of all of creation, and only He can see how current circumstances fit into His greater plan. With that knowledge, Habakkuk now praises God for answering the prophet’s questions, for being in control, and for eventually vindicating His faithful followers.
I have heard the reports about You,
and I am in awe when I consider all You have done.
O Eternal One, revive Your work in our lifetime;
reveal it among us in our times.
As You unleash Your wrath, remember Your compassion.
3 God is on the move from Teman in the south;
the Holy One is on His way from Mount Paran.
[pause][a]
His splendor overtakes the skies;
His praise fills every corner of the earth.
4 His radiance is like a bright light, rays stream down from His hand,
and there His power is hidden.
5 Pestilence marches before Him;
plagues follow in His steps.
6 He stands still and surveys the earth;
He looks their way, and the nations jump in fear.
Indeed, the eternal mountains crumble.
The ancient hills are humbled and bow down.
The paths He carved will last forever.
7 I see the tents of Cushan under attack by evil forces.
The tent curtains of Midian shake throughout that land.
8 Was Your rage directed at the rivers, O Eternal One?
Or Your anger at the rivers?
Or Your fury at the seas?
Is this why You drove your horses, Your chariots of deliverance?
9 Your bow was prepared for battle.
Your arrows waited for Your command.
[pause]
You split the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw You and trembled; heavy rains passed through.
The deep made its voice heard; it lifted its hands high.
11 The sun and the moon remained in their homes in the sky.
At the flash of Your arrows, they go out;
At the gleam of Your spear, they go away.
12 In fury You marched across the earth.
In anger You trampled the nations.
13 You went out to rescue Your people,
to rescue Your anointed one.
You shattered the head of the wicked empire;
You laid him bare from thigh to neck.
[pause]
14 Their warriors rushed in to scatter us,
thrilled to consume their poor victims in secret,
But You turned their weapons against them
and pierced the heads of their warriors with their own arrows.[b]
15 You marched on the sea with Your horses,
stirring up raging waters and overwhelming waves.
This victory poem is not unlike Exodus 15, the celebration of the Eternal’s victory over Egypt and the Red Sea.
16 I listened and began to feel sick with fear; my insides churned.
My lips quivered at the sound.
Decay crept into my bones;
I stood there shaking.
Now I wait quietly for the day of distress;
I sit and wait for the time when disaster strikes those who attacked my people.
17 Even if the fig tree does not blossom
and there are no grapes on the vines,
If the olive trees fail to give fruit
and the fields produce no food,
If the flocks die far from the fold
and there are no cattle in the stalls;
18 Then I will still rejoice in the Eternal!
I will rejoice in the God who saves me!
19 The Eternal Lord is my strength!
He has made my feet like the feet of a deer;
He allows me to walk on high places.
For the worship leader—a song accompanied by strings.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.