3 These are the words that the prophet Habakkuk prayed. He used special music to sing it.
2 Lord , I have heard the report about you.
I see the things that you have done, Lord ,
and I respect your power.
Please do great things like that again.
Do them again now for us to see.
When you are angry with us,
please still remember to be kind!
3 God is coming from Teman!
The Holy God is coming from Paran mountain. [ a ]
Selah.
His beautiful power covers the whole sky!
People praise him all over the earth!
4 He is as bright as the sunrise.
His hands throw bright lightning!
That is where he hides his power.
5 As he marches to war,
bad disease marches with him.
6 God stands ready to fight,
and he causes the earth to shake.
He looks at the nations
and they shake with fear.
The very old mountains break into pieces.
The old hills fall down flat.
He travels on roads that have been there for ever.
7 I see the tents where Cushan's people live,
and the people are afraid.
The people in Midian are shaking with fear.
8 Was it the rivers that made you angry, Lord ?
Did the sea make you so angry?
You rode on your chariots as horses pulled them!
You rode into battle to win against your enemies.
9 You have prepared your bow.
You are ready to shoot your arrows.
Selah.
You send rivers of water to cut the earth into pieces.
10 The mountains see you and they shake.
Rain pours down from the sky and it causes floods.
The deep sea roars
and it lifts its waves up high.
11 You shoot your bright arrows
so that the sun and the moon stand still in the sky.
Your bright spear flies like lightning,
and the sun and the moon do not move!
12 You angrily march across the earth.
You knock down the armies of the nations,
because you are so angry.
13 You have marched out to rescue your people,
and to save your special servant. [ b ]
You have knocked down the leader of the wicked nation.
You have removed all his clothes,
from head to foot.
Selah.
14 You threw his own spear into his head,
and you destroyed his army.
When his soldiers rushed out to attack us,
they were laughing.
They thought that they would easily win against us,
as if we were poor, weak people.
15 But you, Lord , marched across the sea with your horses.
You made the waters of the sea shake.
16 I listened to this
and I was very afraid.
My lips shook with fear
when I heard the sound.
My bones became weak.
My legs would not let me walk.
But I will be patient.
I will wait for the day of trouble that will come.
Yes, punishment will come to the people who are attacking us.
17 Whatever happens, I will continue to thank the Lord .
If there are no flowers on the fig trees,
if there are no grapes on the vines,
if there are no olives on the olive trees,
if there are no crops in the fields,
if the sheep are dying in the hills,
if there are no cows on the farms,
18 I will still sing to thank the Lord !
I will be happy because God is the one who makes me safe. [ c ]
19 The Lord God causes me to be strong.
He makes my feet run safely over the rocks and hills,
like a deer's feet.
This prayer is for the music leader. He must use stringed instruments.
3 The prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. [ a ]
2 Lord , I have heard the news about you.
I am amazed, Lord , at the powerful things you did in the past.
Now I pray that you will do great things in our time.
Please make these things happen in our own days.
But in your anger,
remember to show mercy to us. Selah
3 God is coming from Teman.
The Holy One is coming from Mount Paran. Selah
His glory covers the heavens,
and his praise fills the earth!
4 Rays of light shine from his hand, a bright, shining light.
There is such power hiding in that hand.
5 The sickness went before him,
and the destroyer followed behind him. [ b ]
6 He stood and judged the earth.
He looked at the people of all the nations,
and they shook with fear.
For many years the mountains stood strong,
but those mountains fell to pieces.
Those old, old hills fell down.
God has always been able to do that.
7 I saw that the cities of Cushan were in trouble
and that the houses of Midian trembled with fear.
8 Lord , were you angry at the rivers?
Were you angry at the streams?
Were you angry at the sea?
Were you angry when you rode your horses and chariots to victory?
9 Even then you showed your rainbow.
It was proof of your agreement with the families of the earth. [ c ] Selah
And the dry land split the rivers.
10 The mountains saw you and shook.
The water flowed off the land.
The water from the sea made a loud noise
as it lost its power over the land.
11 The sun and the moon lost their brightness.
They stopped shining when they saw your bright flashes of lightning.
That lightning was like spears and arrows shooting through the air.
12 In anger you walked on the earth
and punished the nations.
13 You came to save your people
and to lead your chosen king [ d ] to victory.
You killed the leader in every evil family,
from the least important person
to the most important in the land. [ e ] Selah
14 You used Moses’ walking stick
to stop the enemy soldiers.
Those soldiers came
like a powerful storm to fight against us.
They thought they could defeat us easily,
as robbing the poor in secret.
15 But you marched your horses
through the deep water, stirring up the mud.
16 My whole body shook when I heard the story.
My lips trembled.
I felt weak deep down in my bones
and stood there shaking.
But I will wait patiently for destruction to come to those who attack us.
17 Figs might not grow on the fig trees,
and grapes might not grow on the vines.
Olives might not grow on the olive trees,
and food might not grow in the fields.
There might not be any sheep in the pens
or cattle in the barns.
18 But I will still be glad in the Lord
and rejoice in God my Savior.
19 The Lord God gives me my strength.
He helps me run fast like a deer.
He leads me safely on the mountains.
To the music director. On my stringed instruments.
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.
2 O Lord , I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord , revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.
5 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.
6 He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
8 Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation?
9 Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear.
12 Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger.
13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
14 Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
15 Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters.
16 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.
17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord , I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to [ a ] Shigionoth.
2 Lord , I have ( A ) heard [ b ] the report about You, and [ c ] I was ( B ) afraid.
Lord , ( C ) revive ( D ) Your work in the midst of the years,
In the midst of the years make it known.
In anger remember [ d ] ( E ) mercy.
3 God comes from ( F ) Teman,
And the Holy One from Mount ( G ) Paran. Selah
His ( H ) splendor covers the heavens,
And the ( I ) earth is full of His praise.
4 His ( J ) radiance is like the sunlight;
He has rays flashing from His hand,
And the hiding of His ( K ) might is there.
5 Before Him goes ( L ) plague,
And ( M ) plague comes forth [ e ] after Him.
6 He stood and caused the earth to shudder;
He looked and ( N ) caused the nations to jump.
Yes, the everlasting mountains were shattered,
The ancient hills [ f ] collapsed.
His paths are ( O ) everlasting.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan under ( P ) distress,
The tent curtains of the land of ( Q ) Midian were trembling.
8 Did the Lord rage against the ( R ) rivers,
Or was Your anger against the rivers,
Or was Your rage against the ( S ) sea,
That You ( T ) rode on Your horses,
On Your ( U ) chariots of salvation?
9 You removed Your ( V ) bow from its holder ,
The arrows of Your word were [ g ] sworn. Selah
You ( W ) divided the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw You and quaked;
The downpour of waters swept by.
The deep ( X ) raised its voice,
It lifted high its hands.
11 ( Y ) Sun and moon stood in their lofty places;
They went away at the ( Z ) light of Your arrows,
At the radiance of Your flashing spear.
12 In indignation You ( AA ) marched through the earth;
In anger You [ h ] ( AB ) trampled the nations.
13 You went forth for the ( AC ) salvation of Your people,
For the salvation of Your ( AD ) anointed.
You smashed the ( AE ) head of the house of evil
To uncover him from [ i ] foot to neck. Selah
14 You pierced with his ( AF ) own [ j ] arrows
The head of his [ k ] leaders.
They ( AG ) stormed in to scatter [ l ] us;
Their arrogance was like those
Who ( AH ) devour the oppressed in secret.
15 You ( AI ) trampled on the sea with Your horses,
On the ( AJ ) foam of many waters.
16 I heard, and my [ m ] inner parts ( AK ) trembled;
At the sound, my lips quivered.
Decay enters my ( AL ) bones,
And in my place I tremble;
Because I [ n ] must ( AM ) wait quietly for the day of distress,
[ o ] For the ( AN ) people to arise who will attack us.
17 Even if the ( AO ) fig tree does not blossom,
And there is no [ p ] fruit on the vines,
If the yield of the ( AP ) olive fails,
And the fields produce no food,
Even if the ( AQ ) flock disappears from the fold,
And there are ( AR ) no cattle in the stalls,
18 Yet I will ( AS ) triumph in the Lord ,
I will ( AT ) rejoice in the ( AU ) God of my salvation.
19 The Lord [ q ] God is my ( AV ) strength,
And ( AW ) He has made my feet like deer’s feet ,
And has me walk on my ( AX ) high places.
For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth . [ a ] ( A )
2 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 )
3 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 )
4 His splendor was like the sunrise; ( L )
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power ( M ) was hidden.
5 Plague ( N ) 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 ( O )
and the age-old hills ( P ) collapsed ( Q ) —
but he marches on forever. ( R )
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
the dwellings of Midian ( S ) in anguish. ( T )
8 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 )
9 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.
