Habakkuk 3
3
1A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk according to Shigionoth.
The Prophet's Prayer
2O Lord, I have heard of your renown,
and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work.
In our own time revive it;
in our own time make it known;
in wrath may you remember mercy.
3God came from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah
His glory covered the heavens,
and the earth was full of his praise.
4The brightness was like the sun;
rays came forth from his hand,
where his power lay hidden.
5Before him went pestilence,
and plague followed close behind.
6He stopped and shook the earth;
he looked and made the nations tremble.
The eternal mountains were shattered;
along his ancient pathways
the everlasting hills sank low.
7I saw the tents of Cushan under affliction;
the tent-curtains of the land of Midian trembled.
8Was your wrath against the rivers,#3.8 Or against River O Lord?
Or your anger against the rivers,#3.8 Or against River
or your rage against the sea,#3.8 Or against Sea
when you drove your horses,
your chariots to victory?
9You brandished your naked bow,
sated#3.9 Cn: Heb oaths were the arrows at your command.#3.9 Meaning of Heb uncertain Selah
You split the earth with rivers.
10The mountains saw you, and writhed;
a torrent of water swept by;
the deep gave forth its voice.
The sun#3.10 Heb It raised high its hands;
11the moon#3.11 Heb sun, moon stood still in its exalted place,
at the light of your arrows speeding by,
at the gleam of your flashing spear.
12In fury you trod the earth,
in anger you trampled nations.
13You came forth to save your people,
to save your anointed.
You crushed the head of the wicked house,
laying it bare from foundation to roof.#3.13 Meaning of Heb uncertain Selah
14You pierced with his own arrows the head#3.14 Or leader of his warriors,#3.14 Vg Compare Gk Syr: Meaning of Heb uncertain
who came like a whirlwind to scatter us,#3.14 Heb me
gloating as if ready to devour the poor who were in hiding.
15You trampled the sea with your horses,
churning the mighty waters.
16I hear, and I tremble within;
my lips quiver at the sound.
Rottenness enters into my bones,
and my steps tremble#3.16 Cn Compare Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain beneath me.
I wait quietly for the day of calamity
to come upon the people who attack us.
Trust and Joy in the Midst of Trouble
17Though the fig tree does not blossom,
and no fruit is on the vines;
though the produce of the olive fails
and the fields yield no food;
though the flock is cut off from the fold
and there is no herd in the stalls,
18yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
and makes me tread upon the heights.#3.19 Heb my heights
To the leader: with stringed#3.19 Heb my stringed instruments.
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Habakkuk 3: NRSV-CI
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Habakkuk 3
3
Habakkuk gives praise to the Lord
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.
Some day 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
saves me.
19The LORD gives me strength.#2 S 22.34; Ps 18.33.
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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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012