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
Habakkuk 3
3
Habakkuk’s Prayer
1The prayer of Habakkuk the prophet.#3:1 The Hebrew text adds “according to shigyonoth,” which may be an instruction for a special style of music.
2Lord, 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
3God is coming from Teman.
The Holy One is coming from Mount Paran. Selah
His glory covers the heavens,
and his praise fills the earth!
4Rays of light shine from his hand, a bright, shining light.
There is such power hiding in that hand.
5The sickness went before him,
and the destroyer followed behind him.#3:5 This probably refers to the diseases and the angel of death that God sent against the Egyptians when God freed Israel from slavery.
6He 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.
7I saw that the cities of Cushan were in trouble
and that the houses of Midian trembled with fear.
8Lord, 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?
9Even then you showed your rainbow.
It was proof of your agreement with the families of the earth.#3:9 rainbow … earth See Gen. 9. Selah
And the dry land split the rivers.
10The 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.
11The 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.
12In anger you walked on the earth
and punished the nations.
13You came to save your people
and to lead your chosen king#3:13 chosen king Literally, “anointed one.” to victory.
You killed the leader in every evil family,
from the least important person
to the most important in the land.#3:13 You killed … in the land Literally, “You struck the head from the wicked house. From the foundation to the neck they were laid bare.” Selah
14You 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.
15But you marched your horses
through the deep water, stirring up the mud.
16My 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.
Always Rejoice in the Lord
17Figs 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.
18But I will still be glad in the Lord
and rejoice in God my Savior.
19The 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.
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