Habakkuk 3 - Haggai 1

New International Version

Habakkuk’s Prayer

3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.^[a]^(A)

²Lord, I have heard^(B) of your fame;
    I stand in awe^(C) of your deeds, Lord.^(D)
Repeat^(E) them in our day,
    in our time make them known;
    in wrath remember mercy.^(F)

³God came from Teman,^(G)
    the Holy One^(H) from Mount Paran.^[b]^(I)
His glory covered the heavens^(J)
    and his praise filled the earth.^(K)
⁴His splendor was like the sunrise;^(L)
    rays flashed from his hand,
    where his power^(M) was hidden.
⁵Plague^(N) went before him;
    pestilence followed his steps.
⁶He stood, and shook the earth;
    he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled^(O)
    and the age-old hills^(P) collapsed^(Q)—
    but he marches on forever.^(R)
⁷I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
    the dwellings of Midian^(S) in anguish.^(T)

⁸Were you angry with the rivers,^(U) Lord?
    Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea^(V)
    when you rode your horses
    and your chariots to victory?^(W)
⁹You uncovered your bow,
    you called for many arrows.^(X)
You split the earth with rivers;
¹⁰    the mountains saw you and writhed.^(Y)
Torrents of water swept by;
    the deep roared^(Z)
    and lifted its waves^(AA) on high.

¹¹Sun and moon stood still^(AB) in the heavens
    at the glint of your flying arrows,^(AC)
    at the lightning^(AD) of your flashing spear.
¹²In wrath you strode through the earth
    and in anger you threshed^(AE) the nations.
¹³You came out^(AF) to deliver^(AG) your people,
    to save your anointed^(AH) one.
You crushed^(AI) the leader of the land of wickedness,
    you stripped him from head to foot.
¹⁴With his own spear you pierced his head
    when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,^(AJ)
gloating as though about to devour
    the wretched^(AK) who were in hiding.
¹⁵You trampled the sea^(AL) with your horses,
    churning the great waters.^(AM)

¹⁶I heard and my heart pounded,
    my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
    and my legs trembled.^(AN)
Yet I will wait patiently^(AO) for the day of calamity
    to come on the nation invading us.
¹⁷Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,^(AP)
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,^(AQ)
¹⁸yet I will rejoice in the Lord,^(AR)
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.^(AS)

¹⁹The Sovereign Lord is my strength;^(AT)
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.^(AU)

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah^(AV) son of Amon^(AW) king of Judah:

Judgment on the Whole Earth in the Day of the Lord

²“I will sweep away everything
    from the face of the earth,”^(AX)
declares the Lord.
³“I will sweep away both man and beast;^(AY)
    I will sweep away the birds in the sky^(AZ)
    and the fish in the sea—
    and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.”^[c]

“When I destroy all mankind
    on the face of the earth,”^(BA)
declares the Lord,^(BB)
⁴“I will stretch out my hand^(BC) against Judah
    and against all who live in Jerusalem.
I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place,^(BD)
    the very names of the idolatrous priests^(BE)—
⁵those who bow down on the roofs
    to worship the starry host,^(BF)
those who bow down and swear by the Lord
    and who also swear by Molek,^[d]^(BG)
⁶those who turn back from following^(BH) the Lord
    and neither seek^(BI) the Lord nor inquire^(BJ) of him.”

⁷Be silent^(BK) before the Sovereign Lord,
for the day of the Lord^(BL) is near.
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice;^(BM)
he has consecrated those he has invited.

⁸“On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
    I will punish^(BN) the officials
    and the king’s sons^(BO)
and all those clad
    in foreign clothes.
⁹On that day I will punish
    all who avoid stepping on the threshold,^[e]^(BP)
who fill the temple of their gods
    with violence and deceit.^(BQ)

¹⁰“On that day,^(BR)”
    declares the Lord,
“a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,^(BS)
    wailing^(BT) from the New Quarter,
    and a loud crash from the hills.
¹¹Wail,^(BU) you who live in the market district^[f];
    all your merchants will be wiped out,
    all who trade with^[g] silver will be destroyed.^(BV)
¹²At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
    and punish those who are complacent,^(BW)
    who are like wine left on its dregs,^(BX)
who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing,^(BY)
    either good or bad.’^(BZ)
¹³Their wealth will be plundered,^(CA)
    their houses demolished.
Though they build houses,
    they will not live in them;
though they plant vineyards,
    they will not drink the wine.”^(CB)

¹⁴The great day of the Lord^(CC) is near^(CD)—
    near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
    the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
¹⁵That day will be a day of wrath—
    a day of distress and anguish,
        a day of trouble and ruin,
    a day of darkness^(CE) and gloom,
        a day of clouds and blackness^(CF)—
¹⁶    a day of trumpet and battle cry^(CG)
against the fortified cities
    and against the corner towers.^(CH)

¹⁷“I will bring such distress^(CI) on all people
    that they will grope about like those who are blind,^(CJ)
    because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out^(CK) like dust
    and their entrails like dung.^(CL)
¹⁸Neither their silver nor their gold
    will be able to save them
    on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”^(CM)

In the fire of his jealousy^(CN)
the whole earth will be consumed,^(CO)
for he will make a sudden end
of all who live on the earth.^(CP)

Judah and Jerusalem Judged Along With the Nations

Judah Summoned to Repent

2 Gather together,^(CQ) gather yourselves together,
    you shameful^(CR) nation,
²before the decree takes effect
    and that day passes like windblown chaff,^(CS)
before the Lord’s fierce anger^(CT)
    comes upon you,
before the day of the Lord’s wrath^(CU)
    comes upon you.
³Seek^(CV) the Lord, all you humble of the land,
    you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness,^(CW) seek humility;^(CX)
    perhaps you will be sheltered^(CY)
    on the day of the Lord’s anger.

Philistia

⁴Gaza^(CZ) will be abandoned
    and Ashkelon^(DA) left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied
    and Ekron uprooted.
⁵Woe to you who live by the sea,
    you Kerethite^(DB) people;
the word of the Lord is against you,^(DC)
    Canaan, land of the Philistines.
He says, “I will destroy you,
    and none will be left.”^(DD)
⁶The land by the sea will become pastures
    having wells for shepherds
    and pens for flocks.^(DE)
⁷That land will belong
    to the remnant^(DF) of the people of Judah;
    there they will find pasture.
In the evening they will lie down
    in the houses of Ashkelon.
The Lord their God will care for them;
    he will restore their fortunes.^[h]^(DG)

Moab and Ammon

⁸“I have heard the insults^(DH) of Moab^(DI)
    and the taunts of the Ammonites,^(DJ)
who insulted^(DK) my people
    and made threats against their land.^(DL)
⁹Therefore, as surely as I live,”
    declares the Lord Almighty,
    the God of Israel,
“surely Moab^(DM) will become like Sodom,^(DN)
    the Ammonites^(DO) like Gomorrah—
a place of weeds and salt pits,
    a wasteland forever.
The remnant of my people will plunder^(DP) them;
    the survivors^(DQ) of my nation will inherit their land.^(DR)”

¹⁰This is what they will get in return for their pride,^(DS)
    for insulting^(DT) and mocking
    the people of the Lord Almighty.^(DU)
¹¹The Lord will be awesome^(DV) to them
    when he destroys all the gods^(DW) of the earth.^(DX)
Distant nations will bow down to him,^(DY)
    all of them in their own lands.

Cush

¹²“You Cushites,^[i]^(DZ) too,
will be slain by my sword.^(EA)”

Assyria

¹³He will stretch out his hand against the north
    and destroy Assyria,^(EB)
leaving Nineveh^(EC) utterly desolate
    and dry as the desert.^(ED)
¹⁴Flocks and herds^(EE) will lie down there,
    creatures of every kind.
The desert owl^(EF) and the screech owl^(EG)
    will roost on her columns.
Their hooting will echo through the windows,
    rubble will fill the doorways,
    the beams of cedar will be exposed.
¹⁵This is the city of revelry^(EH)
    that lived in safety.^(EI)
She said to herself,
    “I am the one! And there is none besides me.”^(EJ)
What a ruin she has become,
    a lair for wild beasts!^(EK)
All who pass by her scoff^(EL)
    and shake their fists.^(EM)

Jerusalem

3 Woe to the city of oppressors,^(EN)
    rebellious^(EO) and defiled!^(EP)
²She obeys^(EQ) no one,
    she accepts no correction.^(ER)
She does not trust^(ES) in the Lord,
    she does not draw near^(ET) to her God.
³Her officials within her
    are roaring lions;^(EU)
her rulers are evening wolves,^(EV)
    who leave nothing for the morning.^(EW)
⁴Her prophets are unprincipled;
    they are treacherous people.^(EX)
Her priests profane the sanctuary
    and do violence to the law.^(EY)
⁵The Lord within her is righteous;^(EZ)
    he does no wrong.^(FA)
Morning by morning^(FB) he dispenses his justice,
    and every new day he does not fail,^(FC)
    yet the unrighteous know no shame.^(FD)

Jerusalem Remains Unrepentant

⁶“I have destroyed nations;
    their strongholds are demolished.
I have left their streets deserted,
    with no one passing through.
Their cities are laid waste;^(FE)
    they are deserted and empty.
⁷Of Jerusalem I thought,
    ‘Surely you will fear me
    and accept correction!’^(FF)
Then her place of refuge^[j] would not be destroyed,
    nor all my punishments come upon^[k] her.
But they were still eager
    to act corruptly^(FG) in all they did.
⁸Therefore wait^(FH) for me,”
    declares the Lord,
    “for the day I will stand up to testify.^[l]
I have decided to assemble^(FI) the nations,^(FJ)
    to gather the kingdoms
and to pour out my wrath^(FK) on them—
    all my fierce anger.^(FL)
The whole world will be consumed^(FM)
    by the fire of my jealous anger.

Restoration of Israel’s Remnant

⁹“Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
    that all of them may call^(FN) on the name of the Lord^(FO)
    and serve^(FP) him shoulder to shoulder.
¹⁰From beyond the rivers of Cush^[m]^(FQ)
    my worshipers, my scattered people,
    will bring me offerings.^(FR)
¹¹On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame^(FS)
    for all the wrongs you have done to me,^(FT)
because I will remove from you
    your arrogant boasters.^(FU)
Never again will you be haughty
    on my holy hill.^(FV)
¹²But I will leave within you
    the meek^(FW) and humble.
The remnant of Israel
    will trust^(FX) in the name of the Lord.
¹³They^(FY) will do no wrong;^(FZ)
    they will tell no lies.^(GA)
A deceitful tongue
    will not be found in their mouths.^(GB)
They will eat and lie down^(GC)
    and no one will make them afraid.^(GD)”

¹⁴Sing, Daughter Zion;^(GE)
    shout aloud,^(GF) Israel!
Be glad and rejoice^(GG) with all your heart,
    Daughter Jerusalem!
¹⁵The Lord has taken away your punishment,
    he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;^(GH)
    never again will you fear^(GI) any harm.^(GJ)
¹⁶On that day
    they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
    do not let your hands hang limp.^(GK)
¹⁷The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.^(GL)
He will take great delight^(GM) in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,^(GN)
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”^(GO)

¹⁸“I will remove from you
    all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,
    which is a burden and reproach for you.
¹⁹At that time I will deal
    with all who oppressed^(GP) you.
I will rescue the lame;
    I will gather the exiles.^(GQ)
I will give them praise^(GR) and honor
    in every land where they have suffered shame.
²⁰At that time I will gather you;
    at that time I will bring^(GS) you home.
I will give you honor^(GT) and praise^(GU)
    among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes^[n]^(GV)
    before your very eyes,”
says the Lord.

A Call to Build the House of the Lord

1 In the second year of King Darius,^(GW) on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai^(GX) to Zerubbabel^(GY) son of Shealtiel, governor^(GZ) of Judah, and to Joshua^(HA) son of Jozadak,^[o]^(HB) the high priest:^(HC)

²This is what the Lord Almighty^(HD) says: “These people^(HE) say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.^(HF)’”

³Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:^(HG) ⁴“Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses,^(HH) while this house remains a ruin?^(HI)”

⁵Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought^(HJ) to your ways. ⁶You have planted much, but harvested little.^(HK) You eat, but never have enough.^(HL) You drink, but never have your fill.^(HM) You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages,^(HN) only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

⁷This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought^(HO) to your ways. ⁸Go up into the mountains and bring down timber^(HP) and build my house, so that I may take pleasure^(HQ) in it and be honored,^(HR)” says the Lord. ⁹“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.^(HS) What you brought home, I blew^(HT) away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin,^(HU) while each of you is busy with your own house. ¹⁰Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld^(HV) their dew^(HW) and the earth its crops.^(HX) ¹¹I called for a drought^(HY) on the fields and the mountains,^(HZ) on the grain, the new wine,^(IA) the olive oil^(IB) and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.^(IC)”

¹²Then Zerubbabel^(ID) son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant^(IE) of the people obeyed^(IF) the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared^(IG) the Lord.

¹³Then Haggai,^(IH) the Lord’s messenger,^(II) gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with^(IJ) you,” declares the Lord. ¹⁴So the Lord stirred up^(IK) the spirit of Zerubbabel^(IL) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak,^(IM) the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant^(IN) of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, ¹⁵on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.^(IO)

The Promised Glory of the New House

In the second year of King Darius,^(IP)

Footnotes

Habakkuk 3:1 Probably a literary or musical term
Habakkuk 3:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the middle of verse 9 and at the end of verse 13.
Zephaniah 1:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
Zephaniah 1:5 Hebrew Malkam
Zephaniah 1:9 See 1 Samuel 5:5.
Zephaniah 1:11 Or the Mortar
Zephaniah 1:11 Or in
Zephaniah 2:7 Or will bring back their captives
Zephaniah 2:12 That is, people from the upper Nile region
Zephaniah 3:7 Or her sanctuary
Zephaniah 3:7 Or all those I appointed over
Zephaniah 3:8 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew will rise up to plunder
Zephaniah 3:10 That is, the upper Nile region
Zephaniah 3:20 Or I bring back your captives
Haggai 1:1 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak; also in verses 12 and 14