Habakkuk 3
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet concerning erring ones:
This is a prayer sung by the prophet Habakkuk. On Shigonoth.
2 O Jehovah, I heard thy report, I have been afraid, O Jehovah, Thy work! in midst of years revive it, In the midst of years Thou makest known In anger Thou dost remember mercy.
I have heard what is said about you, Lord. I stand in awe of your work. Lord, revive it in our times; make it known in our times. In your anger, please remember your mercy.
3 God from Teman doth come, The Holy One from mount Paran. (Pause) Covered the heavens hath His majesty, And His praise hath filled the earth.
God came from Teman; the Holy One from Mount Paran. (Selah) His glory covered the heavens; the earth was full of his praise.
4 And the brightness is as the light, He hath rays out of His hand, And there — the hiding of His strength.
His brightness is like lightning; rays flash from his hand from where his power is hidden.
5 Before Him goeth pestilence, And a burning flame goeth forth at His feet.
Plague goes before him, disease follows at his feet.
6 He hath stood, and He measureth earth, He hath seen, and He shaketh off nations, And scatter themselves do mountains of antiquity, Bowed have the hills of old, The ways of old [are] His.
Where he stands, the earth shakes. When he looks the nations tremble. The ancient mountains shatter, the age-old hills collapse, but his ways are eternal.
7 Under sorrow I have seen tents of Cushan, Tremble do curtains of the land of Midian.
I saw the tents of Cushan suffering, the tent curtains of the land of Midian tremble.
8 Against rivers hath Jehovah been wroth? Against rivers [is] Thine anger? Against the sea [is] Thy wrath? For Thou dost ride on Thy horses — Thy chariots of salvation?
Did you burn with rage against the rivers, Lord? Were you angry with the rivers? Were you furious with the sea when you rode your horses and chariots of salvation?
9 Utterly naked Thou dost make Thy bow, Sworn are the tribes — saying, (Pause) [With] rivers Thou dost cleave the earth.
You took out your bow; you filled your quiver with arrows. (Selah) You split the earth open with rivers.
10 Seen thee — pained are mountains, An inundation of waters hath passed over, Given forth hath the deep its voice, High its hands it hath lifted up.
Mountains saw you and shook. Water poured down and swept by. The deep called out, lifting high its waves.
11 Sun — moon — hath stood — a habitation, At the light thine arrows go on, At the brightness, the glittering of thy spear.
The sun and moon stood still in the sky as your sparkling arrows flew and your spears flashed bright.
12 In indignation Thou dost tread earth, In anger Thou dost thresh nations.
Indignant, you marched across the earth, trampling the nations in your anger.
13 Thou hast gone forth for the salvation of Thy people, For salvation with Thine anointed, Thou hast smitten the head of the house of the wicked, Laying bare the foundation unto the neck. (Pause)
You came out to save your people, to save your chosen people. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, stripping him from thick to neck.
14 Thou hast pierced with his staves the head of his leaders, They are tempestuous to scatter me, Their exultation [is] as to consume the poor in secret.
With his own arrows you pierced the heads of his warriors, those who came like a whirlwind to scatter me, gloating like those who secretly abuse the poor.
15 Thou hast proceeded through the sea with Thy horses — the clay of many waters.
You trod upon the sea with your horses, churning up the mighty waters.
16 I have heard, and my belly trembleth, At the noise have my lips quivered, Rottenness doth come into my bones, And in my place I do tremble, That I rest for a day of distress, At the coming up of the people, he overcometh it.
I shook inside when I heard this; my lips quivered at the sound; my bones turned to jelly; I trembled where I stood. I wait quietly for the day of trouble that will come upon those who attacked us.
17 Though the fig-tree doth not flourish, And there is no produce among vines, Failed hath the work of the olive, And fields have not yielded food, Cut off from the fold hath been the flock, And there is no herd in the stalls.
Even though there are no blossoms on the fig trees and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no harvest; even though there are no animals in the pen and no cattle in the stalls;
18 Yet I, in Jehovah I exult, I do joy in the God of my salvation.
still I will be happy in the Lord, joyful in the God of my salvation.
19 Jehovah the Lord [is] my strength, And He doth make my feet like hinds, And on my high-places causeth me to tread. To the overseer with my stringed instruments!
The Lord God is my strength. He makes me able to walk in the highest mountains, as sure-footed as a deer. (To the music director: with my stringed instruments.)
