Habakkuk 3

1 A Prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet on Behalf of Those Who Are Ignorant.

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, [set] on shigionoth:

2 Lord, I heard what has been said about you, and I was afraid. Lord, your work, in the midst of years, revive it. In the midst of years, you will make it known. When you have become angry, you will remember mercy.

O YHWH, I heard your report, I have been afraid, O YHWH, Your work! In midst of years revive it, In the midst of years You make known, In anger You remember mercy.

3 God will come from the south, and the Holy One from mount Pharan. His glory has covered the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise.

God comes from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. (Pause) His splendor has covered the heavens, And His praise has filled the earth.

4 His brightness shall be like the light; horns are in his hands. There, his strength has been hidden.

And the brightness is as the light, He has rays out of His hand, And there—the hiding of His strength.

5 Death will go forth before his face. And the devil shall depart before his feet.

Before Him goes pestilence, And a burning flame goes forth at His feet.

6 He stood, and measured the earth. He looked, and dissolved the Gentiles. And the mountains of ages past have been shattered. The hills of the world became curved by the journeys of his eternity.

He has stood, and He measures earth, He has seen, and He shakes off nations, And mountains of antiquity scatter themselves, The hills of old have bowed, The ways of old [are] His.

7 I saw the tents of Ethiopia for their iniquity; the tent-skins of the land of Midian will be thrown into confusion.

Under sorrow I have seen tents of Cushan, Curtains of the land of Midian tremble.

8 Could you have been angry with the rivers, Lord? Or was your fury within the rivers, or your indignation in the sea? He will ascend upon your horses, and your four-horse chariots are salvation.

Has YHWH been angry against rivers? Against rivers [is] Your anger? [Is] Your wrath against the sea? For You ride on Your horses—Your chariots of salvation.

9 Being stirred up, you will take up your bow, the oaths you have spoken to the tribes. You will split apart the Rivers of the earth.

You make Your bow utterly naked, The tribes have sworn, saying, (Pause) You cleave the earth [with] rivers.

10 They saw you, and the mountains grieved. The great body of waters crossed over. The abyss uttered its voice. The pinnacle lifted up its hands.

Seen You—pained are mountains, An inundation of waters has passed over, The deep has given forth its voice, It has lifted up its hands high.

11 The sun and the moon have stood firm in their dwelling place; with the light of your arrows, they shall go forth in the splendor of your flashing spear.

Sun—moon—has stood—a habitation, Your arrows go on at the light, At the brightness, the glittering of Your spear.

12 With a roar, you will trample the earth. In your fury, you will cause the nations to be stupefied.

In indignation You tread earth, In anger You thresh nations.

13 You have gone forth for the salvation of your people, for salvation with your Christ. You struck the head of the house of the impious. You have laid bare his foundation all the way to the neck.

You have gone forth for the salvation of Your people, For salvation with Your Anointed, You have struck the head of the house of the wicked, Laying bare the foundation to the neck. (Pause)

14 You have cursed his scepters, the head of his warriors, those who approached like a whirlwind so as to scatter me. Their exultation was like one who devours the poor in secret.

You have pierced the head of his leaders with his own rods, They are tempestuous to scatter me, Their exultation [is] as to consume the poor in secret.

15 You made a way in the sea for your horses, in the mud of great waters.

You have proceeded through the sea with Your horses—the clay of many waters.

16 I heard, and my stomach became troubled. My lips trembled at the voice. Let decay enter into my bones and gush forth from within me. Then I may rest in the day of tribulation, so that I may ascend to our people well-prepared.

I have heard, and my belly trembles, At the noise have my lips quivered, Rottenness comes into my bones, And in my place I tremble, That I rest for a day of distress, At the coming up of the people, he overcomes it.

17 For the fig tree will not flower, and there will be no bud on the vines. The labor of the olive tree will be misleading, and the farmland will produce no food. The sheep will be cut off from the sheepfold, and there will be no herd at the manger.

Though the fig tree does not flourish, And there is no produce among vines, The work of the olive has failed, And fields have not yielded food, The flock has been cut off from the fold, And there is no herd in the stalls,

18 But I will rejoice in the Lord; and I will exult in God my Jesus.

Yet I, in YHWH I exult, I am joyful in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength. And he will set my feet like those of the stag. And he, the victor, will lead me beyond my high places while singing psalms.

YHWH the Lord [is] my strength, And He makes my feet like does, And causes me to tread on my high-places. To the overseer with my stringed instruments!