Habakkuk 3
1 A PRAYER OF HABACUC THE PROPHET FOR IGNORANCES.
A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to the Shigionoth.
2 O Lord, I have heard thy hearing, and was afraid. O Lord, thy work, in the midst of the years bring it to life: In the midst of the years thou shalt make it known: when thou art angry, thou wilt remember mercy.
I have heard, Lord, of your fame, I have seen, Lord, your work; through the years you have make yourself known, in wrath you remember mercy.
3 God will come from the south, and the holy one from mount Pharan: His glory covered the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise.
God comes from Teman, and the Holy One from the mountain-land of Paran. (Selah) His glory covers the heavens, and his splendour fills the earth.
4 His brightness shall be as the light; horns are in his hands: There is his strength hid:
Before him it is like the light, rays he has at his side, where his power is hidden.
5 Death shall go before his face. And the devil shall go forth before his feet.
Before him pestilence stalks, after him plague follows.
6 He stood and measured the earth. He beheld, and melted the nations: and the ancient mountains were crushed to pieces. The hills of the world were bowed down by the journeys of his eternity.
He stands, and the earth trembles, he looks, and the nations melt away, and the mountains of old are scattered, the everlasting hills bow down. These are his ways from of old.
7 I saw the tents of Ethiopia for their iniquity, the curtains of the land of Madian shall be troubled.
The tents of Cushan are afraid, the curtains of Midian tremble.
8 Wast thou angry, O Lord, with the rivers? or was thy wrath upon the rivers? or thy indignation in the sea? Who will ride upon thy horses: and thy chariots are salvation.
Is your wrath, Lord, with the rivers? Is your anger against the streams? Or your rage against the sea? Is that why you ride on your war-steeds? Why you mount your chariots of victory?
9 Thou wilt surely take up thy bow: according to the oaths which thou hast spoken to the tribes. Thou wilt divide the rivers of the earth.
Why you bare your bow? Why you fill your quiver with shafts? You split the earth with torrents.
10 The mountains saw thee, and were grieved: the great body of waters passed away. The deep put forth its voice: the deep lifted up its hands.
The mountains see you and writhe. The tempest of waters sweeps by. The great deep sends forth its voice, and lifts up its hands.
11 The sun and the moon stood still in their habitation, in the light of thy arrows, they shall go in the brightness of thy glittering spear.
The sun forgets to rise. The moon stands still in its place. Your arrows go forth to give light. Your glittering spear is as lightning.
12 In thy anger thou wilt tread the earth under foot: in thy wrath thou wilt astonish the nations.
In rage you stride over the earth. In wrath you trample the nations.
13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people: for salvation with thy Christ. Thou struckest the head of the house of the wicked: thou hast laid bare his foundation even to the neck.
You go forth to save your people. You go to help your anointed. You crush the head of the wicked nation, laying him bare from thigh to neck. (Selah)
14 Thou hast cursed his sceptres, the head of his warriors, them that came out as a whirlwind to scatter me. Their joy was like that of him that devoureth the poor man in secret.
You pierced his head with his spears, as his champions storm out to scatter us, as they rejoice to devour the poor secretly.
15 Thou madest a way in the sea for thy horses, in the mud of many waters.
You tread the sea with your horses, while the mighty waters roar.
16 I have heard and my bowels were troubled: my lips trembled at the voice. Let rottenness enter into my bones, and swarm under me. That I may rest in the day of tribulation: that I may go up to our people that are girded.
I hear, and my body trembles, and at the sound my lips quiver. My bones begin to decay, and my footsteps totter beneath me, while I long for the day of distress to come upon those who attack us.
17 For the fig tree shall not blossom: and there shall be no spring in the vines. The labour of the olive tree shall fail: and the fields shall yield no food: the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls.
Though the fig tree bears no fruit, and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive harvest fails, and the fields produce no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls,
18 But I will rejoice in the Lord: and I will joy in God my Jesus.
yet I will exult in the Lord, and rejoice in the God who saves me.
19 The Lord God is my strength: and he will make my feet like the feet of harts: and he the conqueror will lead me upon my high places singing psalms.
The Lord God is my strength; he makes my feet as sure as the feet of deer, and causes me to walk on the heights! To the music director: Use stringed instruments.
