Habakkuk 3
1 This is a prayer sung by the prophet Habakkuk. On Shigonoth.
A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, [set] on shigionoth:
2 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.
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 came from Teman; the Holy One from Mount Paran. (Selah) His glory covered the heavens; the earth was 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 is like lightning; rays flash from his hand from where his power is hidden.
And the brightness is as the light, He has rays out of His hand, And there—the hiding of His strength.
5 Plague goes before him, disease follows at his feet.
Before Him goes pestilence, And a burning flame goes forth at His feet.
6 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.
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 Cushan suffering, the tent curtains of the land of Midian tremble.
Under sorrow I have seen tents of Cushan, Curtains of the land of Midian tremble.
8 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?
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 You took out your bow; you filled your quiver with arrows. (Selah) You split the earth open with rivers.
You make Your bow utterly naked, The tribes have sworn, saying, (Pause) You cleave the earth [with] rivers.
10 Mountains saw you and shook. Water poured down and swept by. The deep called out, lifting high its waves.
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 moon stood still in the sky as your sparkling arrows flew and your spears flashed bright.
Sun—moon—has stood—a habitation, Your arrows go on at the light, At the brightness, the glittering of Your spear.
12 Indignant, you marched across the earth, trampling the nations in your anger.
In indignation You tread earth, In anger You thresh nations.
13 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.
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 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.
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 trod upon the sea with your horses, churning up the mighty waters.
You have proceeded through the sea with Your horses—the clay of many waters.
16 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.
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 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;
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 still I will be happy in the Lord, joyful in the God of my salvation.
Yet I, in YHWH I exult, I am joyful in the God of my salvation.
19 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.)
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!
