Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk's Prayer

1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth .

2 Lord, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord.
Renew them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.

3 God came from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
Selah
His glory covered the heavens
and his praise filled the earth.

4 His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden.

5 Plague went before him;
pestilence followed his steps.

6 He stood, and shook the earth;
he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled
and the age-old hills collapsed.
His ways are eternal.

7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
the dwellings of Midian in anguish.

8 Were you angry with the rivers, O Lord?
Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea
when you rode with your horses
and your victorious chariots?

9 You uncovered your bow,
you called for many arrows.
Selah
You split the earth with rivers;

10 the mountains saw you and writhed.
Torrents of water swept by;
the deep roared
and lifted its waves on high.

11 Sun and moon stood still in the heavens
at the glint of your flying arrows,
at the lightning of your flashing spear.

12 In wrath you strode through the earth
and in anger you threshed the nations.

13 You came out to deliver your people,
to save your anointed one.
You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness,
you stripped him from head to foot.
Selah

14 With his own spear you pierced his head
when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,
gloating as though about to devour
the wretched who were in hiding.

15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
churning the great waters.

16 I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently 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,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

HABAKKUK 3

Habakkuk's Prayer

1 This is my prayer:t

2 I know your reputation, [Lord],
and I am amazed
at what you have done.
Please turn from your anger
and be merciful;
do for us what you did
for our ancestors.

3 You are the same Holy God
who came from Teman
and Parant to help us.
The brightness of your glory
covered the heavens,
and your praises were heard
everywhere on earth.

4 Your glory shone like the sun,
and light flashed from your hands,
hiding your mighty power.

5 Dreadful diseases and plagues
marched in front
and followed behind.

6 When you stopped,
the earth shook;
when you stared,
nations trembled;
when you walked
along your ancient paths,
eternal mountains and hills
crumbled and collapsed.

7 The tents of desert tribes
in Cushan and Midiant
were ripped apart.

8 Our [Lord], were you angry
with the monsters
of the deep?t
You attacked in your chariot
and wiped them out.

9 Your arrows were ready
and obeyed your commands.t
You split the earth apart
with rivers and streams;

10 mountains trembled
at the sight of you;
rain poured from the clouds;
ocean waves roared and rose.

11 The sun and moon stood still,
while your arrows and spears
flashed like lightning.

12 In your furious anger,
you trampled on nations

13 to rescue your people
and save your chosen one.t
You crushed a nation's ruler
and stripped his evil kingdom
of its power.t

14 His troops had come like a storm,
hoping to scatter us
and glad to gobble us up.
To them we were refugees
in hiding—
but you smashed their heads
with their own weapons.t

15 Then your chariots churned
the waters of the sea.

Habakkuk's Response //to God's Message

16 When I heard this message, t
I felt weak from fear,
and my lips quivered.
My bones seemed to melt,
and I stumbled around.
But I will patiently wait.
Someday those vicious enemies
will be struck by disaster.t

Trust in a Time //of Trouble

17 Fig trees may no longer bloom,
or vineyards produce grapes;
olive trees may be fruitless,
and harvest time a failure;
sheep pens may be empty,
and cattle stalls vacant—

18 but I will still celebrate
because the [Lord] God
is my Savior.

19  t The [Lord] gives me strength.
He makes my feet as sure
as those of a deer,
and he helps me stand
on the mountains.t
To the music director:
Use stringed instruments.