Ambacum 3

1 A PRAYER OF THE PROPHET AMBACUM, WITH A SONG.

A prayer of Habakkuk, the prophet, set to victorious music.

2 O Lord, I have heard your report, and was afraid: I considered your works, and was amazed: you shall be known between the two living creatures, you shall be acknowledged when the years draw near; you shall be manifested when the time is come; when my soul is troubled, you will in wrath remember mercy.

LORD, I have heard of your fame. I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Renew your work in the middle of the years. In the middle of the years make it known. In wrath, you remember mercy.

3 God shall come from Thaeman, and the Holy One from the dark shady mount Pharan. (Pause)

God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. (Selah) His glory covered the heavens, and his praise filled the earth.

4 His excellence covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness shall be as light; [there were] horns in his hands, and he caused a mighty love of his strength.

His splendour is like the sunrise. Rays shine from his hand, where his power is hidden.

5 Before his face shall go a report, and it shall go forth into the plains,

Plague went before him, and pestilence followed his feet.

6 the earth stood at his feet and trembled: he saw, and the nations melted away: the mountains were violently burst through, the everlasting hills melted at his everlasting going forth.

He stood, and shook the earth. He looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains were crumbled. The age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal.

7 Because of troubles I looked upon the tents of the Ethiopians: the tabernacles also of the land of Madiam shall be dismayed.

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

8 Was you angry, O Lord, with the rivers? or [was] your wrath against the rivers, or your anger against the sea? for you will mount on your horses, and your chariots are salvation.

Was the LORD displeased with the rivers? Was your anger against the rivers, or your wrath against the sea, that you rode on your horses, on your chariots of salvation?

9 Surely you did bend they bow at sceptres, says the Lord. (Pause) The land of rivers shall be torn asunder.

You uncovered your bow. You called for your sworn arrows. (Selah) You split the earth with rivers.

10 The nations shall see you and be in pain, [as you do] divide the moving waters: the deep uttered her voice, and raised her form on high.

The mountains saw you, and were afraid. The storm of waters passed by. The deep roared and lifted up its hands on high.

11 The sun was exalted, and the moon stood still in her course: your darts shall go forth at the light, at the brightness of the gleaming of your arms.

The sun and moon stood still in the sky at the light of your arrows as they went, at the shining of your glittering spear.

12 You will bring low the land with threatening, and in wrath you will break down the nations.

You marched through the land in wrath. You threshed the nations in anger.

13 You went forth for the salvation of your people, to save your anointed: you shall bring death on the heads of transgressors; you has brought bands upon [their] neck. (Pause)

You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the land of wickedness. You stripped them head to foot. (Selah)

14 You did cut asunder the heads of princes with amazement, they shall tremble in it; they shall burst their bridles, [they shall be] as a poor man devouring in secret.

You pierced the heads of his warriors with their own spears. They came as a whirlwind to scatter me, gloating as if to devour the wretched in secret.

15 And you do cause your horses to enter the sea, disturbing much water.

You trampled the sea with your horses, churning mighty waters.

16 I watched, and my belly trembled at the sound of the prayer of my lips, and trembling entered into my bones, and my frame was troubled within me; I will rest in the day of affliction, from going up to the people of my sojourning.

I heard, and my body trembled. My lips quivered at the voice. Rottenness enters into my bones, and I tremble in my place because I must wait quietly for the day of trouble, for the coming up of the people who invade us.

17 For [though] the fig tree shall bear no fruit, and there shall be no produce on the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall produce no food: the sheep have failed from the pasture, and there are no oxen at the cribs;

For even though the fig tree doesn’t flourish, nor fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive fails, the fields yield no food, the flocks are cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls,

18 yet I will exult in the Lord, I will joy in God my Saviour.

yet I will rejoice in the LORD. I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

19 The Lord God is my strength, and he will perfectly strengthen my feet; he mounts me upon high places, that I may conquer by his song.

GOD, the Lord, is my strength. He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and enables me to go in high places. For the music director, on my stringed instruments.