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A prayer of Habakkuk, the prophet, set to victorious music.

Yahweh, I have heard of your fame.
    I stand in awe of your deeds, Yahweh.
Renew your work in the middle of the years.
    In the middle of the years make it known.
    In wrath, you remember mercy.
God came from Teman,
    the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah.

His glory covered the heavens,
    and his praise filled the earth.
His splendor is like the sunrise.
    Rays shine from his hand, where his power is hidden.
Plague went before him,
    and pestilence followed his feet.
He stood, and shook the earth.
    He looked, and made the nations tremble.
    The ancient mountains were crumbled.
    The age-old hills collapsed.
    His ways are eternal.
I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction.
    The dwellings of the land of Midian trembled.
Was Yahweh displeased with the rivers?
    Was your anger against the rivers,
    or your wrath against the sea,
    that you rode on your horses,
    on your chariots of salvation?
You uncovered your bow.
    You called for your sworn arrows. Selah.
You split the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw you, and were afraid.
    The storm of waters passed by.
    The deep roared and lifted up its hands on high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in the sky,
    at the light of your arrows as they went,
    at the shining of your glittering spear.
12 You marched through the land in wrath.
    You threshed the nations in anger.
13 You went out for the salvation of your people,
    for the salvation of your anointed.
You crushed the head of the land of wickedness.
    You stripped them head to foot. Selah.

14 You pierced the heads of his warriors with their own spears.
    They came as a whirlwind to scatter me,
    gloating as if to devour the wretched in secret.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
    churning mighty waters.
16 I heard, and my body trembled.
    My lips quivered at the voice.
Rottenness enters into my bones, and I tremble in my place,
    because I must wait quietly for the day of trouble,
    for the coming up of the people who invade us.
17 For though the fig tree doesn’t flourish,
    nor fruit be in the vines;
    the labor of the olive fails,
    the fields yield no food;
    the flocks are cut off from the fold,
    and there is no herd in the stalls:
18 yet I will rejoice in Yahweh.
    I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
19 Yahweh, the Lord,[a] is my strength.
    He makes my feet like deer’s feet,
    and enables me to go in high places.

For the music director, on my stringed instruments.

Footnotes

  1. 3:19 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”

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.