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®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Habakkuk 3
3
1This is a prayer sung by the prophet Habakkuk. On Shigonoth.#3:1. “On Shigionoth”: the meaning is unknown. It may be a musical instrument.
2I have heard what is said about you, Lord. I stand in awe of your work. Lord, revive it in our times; make it known in our times. In your anger, please remember your mercy.
3God came from Teman; the Holy One from Mount Paran.#3:3. Teman is in the land of Edom, while Mount Paran is in the Sinai Peninsula. Selah.#3:3. “Selah”: an unknown term often also used in Psalms. His glory covered the heavens; the earth was full of his praise.
4His brightness is like lightning; rays flash from his hand from where his power is hidden.
5Plague goes before him, disease#3:5. Or “bolts of fire.” follows at his feet.
6Where he stands, the earth shakes. When he looks the nations tremble. The ancient mountains shatter, the age-old hills collapse, but his ways are eternal.
7I saw the tents of Cushan suffering, the tent curtains of the land of Midian tremble.#3:7. By this Habakkuk probably means the people that lived in these tents.
8Did you burn with rage against the rivers, Lord? Were you angry with the rivers? Were you furious with the sea when you rode your horses and chariots of salvation?
9You took out your bow; you filled your quiver with arrows. Selah. You split the earth open with rivers.
10Mountains saw you and shook. Water poured down and swept by. The deep called out, lifting high its waves.#3:10. Literally, “hands.”
11The sun and moon stood still in the sky as your sparkling arrows flew and your spears flashed bright.
12Indignant, you marched across the earth, trampling the nations in your anger.
13You came out to save your people, to save your chosen people. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, stripping him from thick to neck.#3:13. This verse has been interpreted in many ways.
14With his own arrows you pierced the heads of his warriors, those who came like a whirlwind to scatter me, gloating like those who secretly abuse the poor.
15You trod upon the sea with your horses, churning up the mighty waters.
16I shook inside when I heard this; my lips quivered at the sound; my bones turned to jelly; I trembled where I stood. I wait quietly for the day of trouble that will come upon those who attacked us.
17Even though there are no blossoms on the fig trees and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no harvest; even though there are no animals in the pen and no cattle in the stalls;
18still I will be happy in the Lord, joyful in the God of my salvation.
19The Lord God is my strength. He makes me able to walk in the highest mountains, as sure-footed as a deer.
(To the music director: with my stringed instruments.)
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com