Habakkuk 3
1 A prayer by Habakkuk the prophet, —in the manner of an Ode.
Yahweh, I have heard about you; I revere you because of [all the amazing] things that you have done. In our time, do again [some of] those things that you did long ago! Even when you are angry [with us], be merciful [to us]!
2 O Yahweh, I have heard tidings of thee, I am afraid. O Yahweh! Thy work—in the midst of the years, O revive it, in the midst of the years, wilt thou make known? In trouble, wilt thou remember, compassion?
3 GOD, from Teman, cometh in, and, the Holy One, from Mount Paran. (Selah) His splendour, hath covered the heavens, and, his praise, hath filled the earth:
[In the vision, I saw] God, the Holy One, coming from the Teman [district in Edom]; [and I also saw] him coming from the Paran Hills [in the Sinai area]. His glory filled the sky, and the earth was full of [people who were] praising him.
4 And, a brightness, as light, appeareth, Rays, out of his hand, hath he, —and, there, is the hiding of his power.
His glory was like [SIM] a sunrise; rays flashed from his hands where he hides his power.
5 Before him, marcheth pestilence, —and fever, goeth forth, at his feet:
He sent plagues in front of him, and [other] plagues came behind him.
6 He hath stood and measured the earth, he hath looked, and caused nations to tremble, and, scattered as dust, are the perpetual mountains, and, sunk, are the age-abiding hills, —Forthgoings age-abiding, are his.
When he stopped, the earth shook. When he looked at the nations, [all the people] trembled. The hills and mountains that have existed for a very long time [HYP] collapsed and crumbled. Yahweh is the one who exists eternally/forever!
7 Under distress, saw I the tents of Ethiopia, —tremble, do the curtains of the land of Midian.
[In the vision] I saw the [people who live in] tents in the Cushan [region] being afflicted, and the people in the Midian [region] trembling.
8 Against the rivers, is Yahweh wroth? Against the rivers, is thine anger? Against the sea, is thine indignation? For thou wilt ride on Thy horses, Thy chariots, [shall be] salvation!
Yahweh, was it because you were angry with the rivers and streams that you were angry with them? Did the seas cause you to be furious, with the result that you rode through them with horses that were pulling chariots that enabled you to defeat them?
9 To nakedness, is bared thy bow, oaths of chastisement—song! (Selah) With rivers, thou dost cleave open the land.
[It was as though] you uncovered your bow, took arrows from your quiver, [and prepared to shoot them]. [Then with lightning] you split open the earth, and streams burst forth.
10 The mountains, have seen thee—they tremble, a downpour of waters, hath passed along, —the roaring deep, hath given forth, his voice, on high—his hand, hath he uplifted.
[It is as though] the mountains saw you [doing that], and they trembled. Floods rushed by; [it was as though] the deep ocean roared and caused its waves to rise up high.
11 Sun, moon, have stood still, on high, —like light, thine arrows, speed along, like brightness, is the flash of thy spear.
The sun and moon stopped moving in the sky while your [lightning] flashed [past like] a swift arrow, and your glittering spear flashed.
12 In wrath, dost thou stride through the land, —in anger, dost thou thresh the nations.
Being very angry [DOU], you walked across the earth and trampled the [armies of many] nations.
13 Thou hast come forth to the salvation of thy people, to salvation, with thine Anointed One, —Thou hast crushed the Head out of the house of the lawless one, baring the foundation up to the neck, (Selah)
But you [also] went to rescue us, your people, and to save the [king] (Or, [people]) whom you had chosen [MTY]. You struck down the leader [MTY] of those wicked people and stripped off his clothes, from his head to his feet.
14 Thou hast pierced, with his own staves, the head of his chiefs, they storm along, to scatter me, —their exultant thought, is, in very deed, to devour the oppressed one, in a secret place!
With his own spear you destroyed the leader of those soldiers who rushed like [SIM] a whirlwind to [attack and] scatter us, thinking that they could conquer us [Israelis] easily.
15 Thou hast driven, into the sea, thy chariot-horses. Foaming are the mighty waters!
You walked through the sea with your horses [to destroy our enemies], and caused the waves to surge.
16 I heard, and I trembled within me, at the voice, my lips, quivered, decay, entered, my bones, and, in my limbs, I trembled, —though I am to find rest, in the day of distress, when their invader, cometh up against the people.
When I saw that vision, my heart pounded and my lips quivered [because I became afraid]. My legs became weak and I shook, [because I was terrified]. But I will wait quietly for the people [of Babylonia], those who invaded our country, to experience disasters!
17 Though, the fig-tree, should not blossom, and there be no sprouting in the vines, the yield of the olive, should have deceived, and, the fields, not have brought forth food, —the flock, have been consumed out of the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls,
[Therefore, ] even if there are no blossoms on the fig trees, and there are no grapes on the grapevines, and even if there are no olives growing on the olive trees, and there are no crops in the fields, and even if the flocks [of sheep and goats] die in the fields, and there are no cattle in the stalls/barns,
18 Yet, I, in Yahweh, will rejoice, —I will exult in the God of my salvation.
I will rejoice because [I know] Yahweh. I will be joyful because Yahweh my God is the one who saves me!
19 Yahweh, My Lord, is my strength, therefore hath he made my feet like hinds, and, upon my high places, will he cause me to march along. To the chief musician, on my double harp.
Yahweh the Lord is the one who causes me to be strong; he enables me to climb [(safely/without falling)] in the [rocky] mountains, like [SIM] a deer does. (This message is for the choir director: [When this prayer is sung, it is to be accompanied by people playing] stringed instruments.)
