Habakkuk 3
3
God Racing on the Crest of the Waves
1-2A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk, with orchestra:
God, I’ve heard what our ancestors say about you,
and I’m stopped in my tracks, down on my knees.
Do among us what you did among them.
Work among us as you worked among them.
And as you bring judgment, as you surely must,
remember mercy.
* * *
3-7God’s on his way again,
retracing the old salvation route,
Coming up from the south through Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
Skies are blazing with his splendor,
his praises sounding through the earth,
His cloud-brightness like dawn, exploding, spreading,
forked-lightning shooting from his hand—
what power hidden in that fist!
Plague marches before him,
pestilence at his heels!
He stops. He shakes Earth.
He looks around. Nations tremble.
The age-old mountains fall to pieces;
ancient hills collapse like a spent balloon.
The paths God takes are older
than the oldest mountains and hills.
I saw everyone worried, in a panic:
Old wilderness adversaries,
Cushan and Midian, were terrified,
hoping he wouldn’t notice them.
* * *
8-16 God, is it River you’re mad at?
Angry at old River?
Were you raging at Sea when you rode
horse and chariot through to salvation?
You unfurled your bow
and let loose a volley of arrows.
You split Earth with rivers.
Mountains saw what was coming.
They twisted in pain.
Flood Waters poured in.
Ocean roared and reared huge waves.
Sun and Moon stopped in their tracks.
Your flashing arrows stopped them,
your lightning-strike spears impaled them.
Angry, you stomped through Earth.
Furious, you crushed the godless nations.
You were out to save your people,
to save your specially chosen people.
You beat the stuffing
out of King Wicked,
Stripped him naked
from head to toe,
Set his severed head on his own spear
and blew away his army.
Scattered they were to the four winds—
and ended up food for the sharks!
You galloped through the Sea on your horses,
racing on the crest of the waves.
When I heard it, my stomach did flips.
I stammered and stuttered.
My bones turned to water.
I staggered and stumbled.
I sit back and wait for Doomsday
to descend on our attackers.
* * *
17-19Though the cherry trees don’t blossom
and the strawberries don’t ripen,
Though the apples are worm-eaten
and the wheat fields stunted,
Though the sheep pens are sheepless
and the cattle barns empty,
I’m singing joyful praise to God.
I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God.
Counting on God’s Rule to prevail,
I take heart and gain strength.
I run like a deer.
I feel like I’m king of the mountain!
(For congregational use, with a full orchestra.)
Currently Selected:
Habakkuk 3: MSG
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House 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.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.