Habakkuk 3

¹A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, put to Shigionoth.

²O Lord, word of you has come to my ears; I have seen your work, O Lord; when the years come near make it clear; in wrath keep mercy in mind.

³God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. The heavens were covered with his glory, and the earth was full of his praise.

⁴He was shining like the light; he had rays coming out from his hand: there his power was kept secret.

⁵Before him went disease, and flames went out at his feet.

⁶From his high place he sent shaking on the earth; he saw and nations were suddenly moved: and the eternal mountains were broken, the unchanging hills were bent down; his ways are eternal.

⁷The curtains of Cushan were troubled, and the tents of Midian were shaking.

⁸Was your wrath burning against the rivers? were you angry with the sea, that you went on your horses, on your war-carriages of salvation?

⁹Your bow was quite uncovered. Selah. By you the earth was cut through with rivers.

¹⁰The mountains saw you and were moved with fear; the clouds were streaming with water: the voice of the deep was sounding; the sun did not come up, and the moon kept still in her place.

¹¹At the light of your arrows they went away, at the shining of your polished spear.

¹²You went stepping through the land in wrath, crushing the nations in your passion.

¹³You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of the one on whom your holy oil was put; wounding the head of the family of the evil-doer, uncovering the base even to the neck. Selah.

¹⁴You have put your spears through his head, his horsemen were sent in flight like dry stems; they had joy in driving away the poor, in making a meal of them secretly.

¹⁵The feet of your horses were on the sea, on the mass of great waters.

¹⁶Hearing it, my inner parts were moved, and my lips were shaking at the sound; my bones became feeble, and my steps were uncertain under me: I gave sounds of grief in the day of trouble, when his forces came up against the people in bands.

¹⁷For though the fig-tree has no flowers, and there is no fruit on the vine, and work on the olive comes to nothing, and the fields give no food; and the flock is cut off from its resting-place, and there is no herd in the cattle-house:

¹⁸Still, I will be glad in the Lord, my joy will be in the God of my salvation.

¹⁹The Lord God is my strength, and he makes my feet like roes' feet, guiding me on my high places. For the chief music-maker on corded instruments.

Habakkuk 3

¹A prayer of Habakkuk, the prophet, set to victorious music.

²Lord, I have heard of your fame. I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Renew your work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years make it known. In wrath, you remember mercy.

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

⁴His splendor is like the sunrise. Rays shine from his hand, where his power is hidden.

⁵Plague went before him, and pestilence followed his feet.

⁶He 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.

⁷I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction. The dwellings of the land of Midian trembled.

⁸Was the Lord 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?

⁹You uncovered your bow. You called for your sworn arrows. Selah. You split the earth with rivers.

¹⁰The mountains saw you, and were afraid. The storm of waters passed by. The deep roared and lifted up its hands on high.

¹¹The sun and moon stood still in the sky, at the light of your arrows as they went, at the shining of your glittering spear.

¹²You marched through the land in wrath. You threshed the nations in anger.

¹³You went forth 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.

¹⁴You 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.

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

¹⁶I 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.

¹⁷For 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:

¹⁸yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

¹⁹The Lord, the Lord, 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.