Habakkuk, 3

1. A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk; tone as for dirges.

1. A prayer of Habak'kuk the prophet, according to Shigion'oth.

2. Yahweh, I have heard of your renown; your work, Yahweh, inspires me with dread. Make it live again in our time, make it known in our time; in wrath remember mercy.

2. O LORD, I have heard the report of thee, and thy work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years renew it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.

3. Eloah comes from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Pause His majesty covers the heavens, and his glory fills the earth.

3. God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. Selah

4. His brightness is like the day, rays flash from his hands, that is where his power lies hidden.

4. His brightness was like the light, rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power.

5. Pestilence goes before him and Plague follows close behind.

5. Before him went pestilence, and plague followed close behind.

6. When he stands up, he makes the earth tremble, with his glance he makes the nations quake. And the eternal mountains are dislodged, the everlasting hills sink down, his pathway from of old.

6. He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook the nations; then the eternal mountains were scattered, the everlasting hills sank low. His ways were as of old.

7. I saw the tents of Cushan in trouble, the tent-curtains of Midian shuddering.

7. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Mid'ian did tremble.

8. Yahweh, are you enraged with the rivers, are you angry with the sea, that you should mount your chargers, your rescuing chariots?

8. Was thy wrath against the rivers, O LORD? Was thy anger against the rivers, or thy indignation against the sea, when thou didst ride upon thy horses, upon thy chariot of victory?

9. You uncover your bow, and give the string its fill of arrows. PauseYou drench the soil with torrents;

9. Thou didst strip the sheath from thy bow, and put the arrows to the string. Selah Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.

10. the mountains see you and tremble, great floods sweep by, the abyss roars aloud, lifting high its waves.

10. The mountains saw thee, and writhed; the raging waters swept on; the deep gave forth its voice, it lifted its hands on high.

11. Sun and moon stay inside their dwellings, they flee at the light of your arrows, at the flash of your lightning-spear.

11. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation at the light of thine arrows as they sped, at the flash of thy glittering spear.

12. In rage you stride across the land, in anger you trample the nations.

12. Thou didst bestride the earth in fury, thou didst trample the nations in anger.

13. You marched to save your people, to save your anointed one; you wounded the head of the house of the wicked, laid bare the foundation to the rock. Pause

13. Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, for the salvation of thy anointed. Thou didst crush the head of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah

14. With your shafts you pierced the leader of his warriors who stormed out with shouts of joy to scatter us, as if they meant to devour some poor wretch in their lair.

14. Thou didst pierce with thy shafts the head of his warriors, who came like a whirlwind to scatter me, rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret.

15. With your horses you trampled through the sea, through the surging abyss!

15. Thou didst trample the sea with thy horses, the surging of mighty waters.

16. When I heard, I trembled to the core, my lips quivered at the sound; my bones became disjointed and my legs gave way beneath me. Calmly I await the day of anguish which is dawning on the people now attacking us.

16. I hear, and my body trembles, my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones, my steps totter beneath me. I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us.

17. (For the fig tree is not to blossom, nor will the vines bear fruit, the olive crop will disappoint and the fields will yield no food; the sheep will vanish from the fold; no cattle in the stalls.)

17. Though the fig tree do not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,

18. But I shall rejoice in Yahweh, I shall exult in God my Saviour.

18. yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19. Yahweh my Lord is my strength, he will make my feet as light as a doe's, and set my steps on the heights. For the choirmaster; on stringed instruments.

19. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like hinds' feet, he makes me tread upon my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.