Ambacum 3

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

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet concerning erring ones:

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

Before Him goeth pestilence, And a burning flame goeth forth at 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 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.

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

Under sorrow I have seen tents of Cushan, Tremble do curtains of the land of Midian.

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.

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?

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

Utterly naked Thou dost make Thy bow, Sworn are the tribes — saying, (Pause) [With] rivers Thou dost cleave the earth.

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.

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.

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.

Sun — moon — hath stood — a habitation, At the light thine arrows go on, At the brightness, the glittering of thy spear.

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

In indignation Thou dost tread earth, In anger Thou dost thresh nations.

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)

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)

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.

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.

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

Thou hast proceeded through the sea with Thy horses — the clay of many 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 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.

17 For [though] the fig tree shall bear no fruit, and there shall be no produce on the vines; the labor 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;

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.

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

Yet I, in Jehovah I exult, I do joy 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.

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!