The Prophet’s Prayer

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on [a]Shigionoth.

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.

God came from Teman,
The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah

His glory covered the heavens,
And the earth was full of His praise.
His brightness was like the light;
He had rays flashing from His hand,
And there His power was hidden.
Before Him went pestilence,
And fever followed at His feet.

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.
I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction;
The curtains of the land of Midian trembled.

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?
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

  1. Habakkuk 3:1 Exact meaning unknown
  2. Habakkuk 3:9 Lit. tribes or rods, cf. v. 14
  3. Habakkuk 3:12 Or threshed
  4. Habakkuk 3:19 Heb. YHWH Adonai

Habakkuk’s Prayer

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

Lord, 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)

God 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)
His splendor was like the sunrise;(L)
    rays flashed from his hand,
    where his power(M) was hidden.
Plague(N) went before him;
    pestilence followed his steps.
He 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)
I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
    the dwellings of Midian(S) in anguish.(T)

Were 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)
You 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.

11 Sun and moon stood still(AB) in the heavens
    at the glint of your flying arrows,(AC)
    at the lightning(AD) of your flashing spear.
12 In wrath you strode through the earth
    and in anger you threshed(AE) the nations.
13 You 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.
14 With 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.
15 You trampled the sea(AL) with your horses,
    churning the great waters.(AM)

16 I 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.
17 Though 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)
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,(AR)
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.(AS)

19 The 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.

Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 3:1 Probably a literary or musical term
  2. 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.

Habakkuk's Prayer

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.

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.
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.
(G)His brightness was like the light;
    rays flashed from his hand;
    and there he veiled his power.
(H)Before him went pestilence,
    and plague followed (I)at his heels.[a]
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.
I saw the tents of (N)Cushan in affliction;
    (O)the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
(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?
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.

(AO)To the choirmaster: with (AP)stringed[d] instruments.

Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 3:5 Hebrew feet
  2. Habakkuk 3:9 The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain
  3. Habakkuk 3:13 The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain
  4. Habakkuk 3:19 Hebrew my stringed

God’s People Saved

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to [a]Shigionoth.

Lord, I have (A)heard [b]the report about You, and [c]I was (B)afraid.
Lord, (C)revive (D)Your work in the midst of the years,
In the midst of the years make it known.
In anger remember [d](E)mercy.

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.
His (J)radiance is like the sunlight;
He has rays flashing from His hand,
And the hiding of His (K)might is there.
Before Him goes (L)plague,
And (M)plague comes forth [e]after Him.
He stood and caused the earth to shudder;
He looked and (N)caused the nations to jump.
Yes, the everlasting mountains were shattered,
The ancient hills [f]collapsed.
His paths are (O)everlasting.
I saw the tents of Cushan under (P)distress,
The tent curtains of the land of (Q)Midian were trembling.

Did the Lord rage against the (R)rivers,
Or was Your anger against the rivers,
Or was Your rage against the (S)sea,
That You (T)rode on Your horses,
On Your (U)chariots of salvation?
You removed Your (V)bow from its holder,
The arrows of Your word were [g]sworn. Selah
You (W)divided the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw You and quaked;
The downpour of waters swept by.
The deep (X)raised 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 radiance of Your flashing spear.
12 In indignation You (AA)marched through the earth;
In anger You [h](AB)trampled the nations.
13 You went forth for the (AC)salvation of Your people,
For the salvation of Your (AD)anointed.
You smashed the (AE)head of the house of evil
To uncover him from [i]foot to neck. Selah
14 You pierced with his (AF)own [j]arrows
The head of his [k]leaders.
They (AG)stormed in to scatter [l]us;
Their arrogance was like those
Who (AH)devour the oppressed in secret.
15 You (AI)trampled on the sea with Your horses,
On the (AJ)foam of many waters.

16 I heard, and my [m]inner parts (AK)trembled;
At the sound, my lips quivered.
Decay enters my (AL)bones,
And in my place I tremble;
Because I [n]must (AM)wait quietly for the day of distress,
[o]For the (AN)people to arise who will attack us.
17 Even if the (AO)fig tree does not blossom,
And there is no [p]fruit on the vines,
If the yield of the (AP)olive fails,
And the fields produce no food,
Even if the (AQ)flock disappears from the fold,
And there are (AR)no cattle in the stalls,
18 Yet I will (AS)triumph in the Lord,
I will (AT)rejoice in the (AU)God of my salvation.
19 The Lord [q]God is my (AV)strength,
And (AW)He has made my feet like deer’s feet,
And has me walk on my (AX)high places.

For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.

Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 3:1 Perhaps a highly emotional poetic form
  2. Habakkuk 3:2 Or Your report
  3. Habakkuk 3:2 Or I am in awe, O Lord, of Your work; In the midst of the years revive it,
  4. Habakkuk 3:2 Or compassion
  5. Habakkuk 3:5 Lit at His feet
  6. Habakkuk 3:6 Lit cowered
  7. Habakkuk 3:9 Lit oaths
  8. Habakkuk 3:12 Or threshed
  9. Habakkuk 3:13 Lit base
  10. Habakkuk 3:14 Lit shafts
  11. Habakkuk 3:14 Or villagers
  12. Habakkuk 3:14 Lit me
  13. Habakkuk 3:16 Lit belly
  14. Habakkuk 3:16 Or sigh for
  15. Habakkuk 3:16 Or To come upon the people who will
  16. Habakkuk 3:17 Lit produce
  17. Habakkuk 3:19 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord