Habakkuk 3
3
Habakkuk’s Third Prayer
1A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk. According to Shigionoth.#3:1 Perhaps a passionate song with rapid changes of rhythm, or a dirge#Ps 7
2 Lord, I have heard the report about you;
Lord, I stand in awe of your deeds.#Ps 44:1; 64:9; 77:12; 90:16; 92:4; 111:3; 143:5
Revive your work in these years;
make it known in these years.
In your wrath remember mercy!#Is 60:10
3God comes from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.#Dt 33:2; Jdg 5:4–5Selah
His splendor covers the heavens,
and the earth is full of his praise.#1Ch 29:11; Jb 37:22; Ps 48:10; 72:19; 148:13; Is 42:10
4His brilliance is like light;
rays are flashing from his hand.
This is where his power is hidden.
5Plague goes before him,
and pestilence follows in his steps.
6He stands and shakes#3:6 Or surveys the earth;#Jb 9:6; Is 13:13; 24:19; Jl 2:10; 3:16; Hg 2:6,21; Heb 12:26
he looks and startles the nations.
The age-old mountains break apart;
the ancient hills sink down.#Mc 1:4; Zch 14:4
His pathways are ancient.#Jr 6:16; 18:15
7I see the tents of Cushan#3:7 = Midian in distress;
the tent curtains of the land of Midian tremble.
8Are you angry at the rivers, Lord?
Is your wrath against the rivers?
Or is your fury against the sea
when you ride on your horses,
your victorious chariot?#Ps 68:17
9You took the sheath from your bow;
the arrows are ready#3:9 Or set to be used with an oath.#3:9 Hb obscure#Dt 32:40–43Selah
You split the earth with rivers.
10The mountains see you and shudder;#Ps 77:16
a downpour of water sweeps by.
The deep roars with its voice#Ex 19:18; Ps 77:16
and lifts its waves#3:10 Lit hands high.
11Sun and moon stand still in their lofty residence,#Jos 10:12–13
at the flash of your flying arrows,
at the brightness of your shining spear.
12You march across the earth with indignation;
you trample down the nations in wrath.#Ps 60:12; 68:30; 108:13; Is 25:10; 63:3; Mc 1:3
13You come out to save your people,#Dt 33:29; Jdg 2:18; Ps 28:9; Jr 15:20; Ezk 37:23; Zch 8:7; 9:16; Mt 1:21
to save your anointed.#3:13 The Davidic king or the nation of Israel
You crush the leader of the house of the wicked
and strip him from foot#3:13 Lit foundation to neck.Selah
14You pierce his head
with his own spears;
his warriors storm out to scatter us,
gloating as if ready to secretly devour the weak.
15You tread the sea with your horses,
stirring up the vast water.#Ps 77:19
Habakkuk’s Confidence in God Expressed
16I heard, and I trembled within;#Dn 10:4–9; Rv 1:17
my lips quivered at the sound.
Rottenness entered my bones;
I trembled where I stood.
Now I must quietly wait for the day of distress#Is 37:3; Ob 12,14; Nah 1:7
to come against the people invading us.
17Though the fig tree does not bud
and there is no fruit on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though the flocks disappear from the pen
and there are no herds in the stalls,
18yet I will celebrate in the Lord;
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!#1Sm 2:1; 1Ch 16:35; Ps 9:14; 40:16; 73:25; Is 25:9; 61:10
19The Lord my Lord is my strength;#1Sm 30:6; 1Ch 16:11; Ps 18:1; 22:19; 28:7–8; 29:11; 105:4; 118:14; Is 12:2; 33:2; 45:24; 49:5; 51:9; Jr 16:19; Eph 6:10
he makes my feet like those of a deer#Ps 18:33
and enables me to walk on mountain heights!#2Sm 22:34; Ps 18:33
For the choir director: on#3:19 Lit on my stringed instruments.
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Habakkuk 3
3
Habakkuk's Prayer
1This is my prayer:#3.1 prayer: The Hebrew text adds “according to the shigionoth,” which may mean a prayer of request or a prayer to be accompanied by a special musical instrument.
2I 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.
3You are the same Holy God
who came from Teman
and Paran#3.3 Teman … Paran: Teman is a district in Edom, but the name is sometimes used of the whole country of Edom; Paran is the hill country along the western border of the Gulf of Aqaba. In Judges 5.4, the Lord is said to have marched from Edom to help his people; in Deuteronomy 33.2, Paran is mentioned in connection with the Lord's appearance at Sinai. to help us.
The brightness of your glory
covered the heavens,
and your praises were heard
everywhere on earth.
4Your glory shone like the sun,
and light flashed from your hands,
hiding your mighty power.
5Dreadful diseases and plagues
marched in front
and followed behind.
6When you stopped,
the earth shook;
when you stared,
nations trembled;
when you walked
along your ancient paths,
eternal mountains and hills
crumbled and collapsed.
7The tents of desert tribes
in Cushan and Midian#3.7 Cushan and Midian: Tribes of the Arabian desert who were enemies of Israel.
were ripped apart.
8Our Lord, were you angry
with the monsters
of the deep?#3.8 monsters of the deep: The Hebrew text has “rivers and oceans,” which may stand for the powerful monsters that were thought to have lived there before the Lord defeated them.
You attacked in your chariot
and wiped them out.
9Your arrows were ready
and obeyed your commands.#3.9 obeyed your commands: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
You split the earth apart
with rivers and streams;
10mountains trembled
at the sight of you;
rain poured from the clouds;
ocean waves roared and rose.
11The sun and moon stood still,
while your arrows and spears
flashed like lightning.
12In your furious anger,
you trampled on nations
13to rescue your people
and save your chosen one.#3.13 chosen one: Or “chosen ones.”
You crushed a nation's ruler
and stripped his evil kingdom
of its power.#3.13 You crushed … power: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
14His 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.#3.14 but you … weapons: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
15Then your chariots churned
the waters of the sea.
Habakkuk's Response to God's Message
16When I heard this message,#3.16 heard this message: Or “saw this vision.”
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.#3.16 I will … disaster: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Trust in a Time of Trouble
17Fig 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—
18but I will still celebrate
because the Lord God
is my Savior.
19 #
2 S 22.34; Ps 18.33. The Lord gives me strength.
He makes my feet as sure
as those of a deer,
and he helps me stand
on the mountains.#3.19 stand on the mountains: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
To the music director:
Use stringed instruments.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
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