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A Psalm

A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk; according to shigionoth.[a]

Yahweh, I have heard the report about you.
    Yahweh, I fear your work.
    In the course of the years, renew it.
    In the course of the years, reveal it.
    In all this chaos, remember to be merciful.

Eloah comes from Teman.
    The Holy One comes from Mount Paran. Selah
    His splendor covers the heavens.
    His praise fills the earth.
His brightness is like the sunlight.
    Rays of light stream from his hand.
        That is where his power is hidden.
Diseases go ahead of him.
    Plagues follow after him.
He stands and shakes the earth.
    He casts a glance and startles the nations.
    The oldest mountains break apart.
    The ancient hills sink.
    The ancient paths belong to him.
I see trouble in the tents of Cushan.
    I see trembling in the tents of Midian.

Yahweh is not angry with the rivers, is he?
    If you are angry with the rivers,
    if you are furious with the sea,
        why do you ride your horses,
            your chariots of salvation?
You get your bow ready for action,
    for the arrows you promised. Selah
    You split the land with rivers.
10 The mountains look at you. They writhe in pain.
    Floodwaters pass by.
    The deep ocean roars. Its waves rise up high.
11 The sun and the moon stand still.
    They scatter at the light of your arrows,
        at the bright lightning of your spear.

12 You march through the earth with fury.
    You trample the nations in anger.
13 You go out to save your people,
    to save your anointed.[b]
    You crush the leader of the wicked household,
    stripping him bare from head to toe. Selah
14 You pierce the leader of his gang with his own arrows.
    His soldiers come like a violent storm to scatter me.
    They are arrogant like those who secretly eat up the poor.
15 You march with your horses into the sea,
    into the mighty raging waters.

16 I have heard, so there’s trembling within me.
    At the report my lips quivered.
    A rotten feeling has entered me.
    I tremble where I stand.
    I wait for the day of trouble
        to come to the people who will attack us.
17 Even if the fig tree does not bloom
    and the vines have no grapes,
    even if the olive tree fails to produce
    and the fields yield no food,
    even if the sheep pen is empty
    and the stalls have no cattle—
18 even then,
    I will be happy with Yahweh.
    I will truly find joy in God, who saves me.
19 Yahweh Adonay is my strength.
    He makes my feet like those of a deer.
        He makes me walk on the mountains.

For the choir director; on stringed instruments.

Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 3:1 Unknown musical term.
  2. Habakkuk 3:13 Or “to save with your anointed.”

Habakkuk’s Prayer

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.[a](A)

Lord, I have heard(B) of your fame;
    I stand in awe(C) of your deeds, Lord.(D)
Repeat(E) them in our day,
    in our time make them known;
    in wrath remember mercy.(F)

God came from Teman,(G)
    the Holy One(H) from Mount Paran.[b](I)
His glory covered the heavens(J)
    and his praise filled the earth.(K)
His splendor was like the sunrise;(L)
    rays flashed from his hand,
    where his power(M) was hidden.
Plague(N) went before him;
    pestilence followed his steps.
He stood, and shook the earth;
    he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled(O)
    and the age-old hills(P) collapsed(Q)
    but he marches on forever.(R)
I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
    the dwellings of Midian(S) in anguish.(T)

Were you angry with the rivers,(U) Lord?
    Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea(V)
    when you rode your horses
    and your chariots to victory?(W)
You uncovered your bow,
    you called for many arrows.(X)
You split the earth with rivers;
10     the mountains saw you and writhed.(Y)
Torrents of water swept by;
    the deep roared(Z)
    and lifted its waves(AA) on high.

11 Sun and moon stood still(AB) in the heavens
    at the glint of your flying arrows,(AC)
    at the lightning(AD) of your flashing spear.
12 In wrath you strode through the earth
    and in anger you threshed(AE) the nations.
13 You came out(AF) to deliver(AG) your people,
    to save your anointed(AH) one.
You crushed(AI) the leader of the land of wickedness,
    you stripped him from head to foot.
14 With his own spear you pierced his head
    when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,(AJ)
gloating as though about to devour
    the wretched(AK) who were in hiding.
15 You trampled the sea(AL) with your horses,
    churning the great waters.(AM)

16 I heard and my heart pounded,
    my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
    and my legs trembled.(AN)
Yet I will wait patiently(AO) for the day of calamity
    to come on the nation invading us.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,(AP)
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,(AQ)
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,(AR)
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.(AS)

19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;(AT)
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    he enables me to tread on the heights.(AU)

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 3:1 Probably a literary or musical term
  2. Habakkuk 3:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the middle of verse 9 and at the end of verse 13.