Habakkuk, 3

1. Prayer of Habakkuk, the prophet. To a plaintive tune.

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

2. O LORD, I have heard your renown, and feared, O LORD, your work. In the course of the years revive it, in the course of the years make it known; in your wrath remember compassion!

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.

3. , the Holy One from Mount Paran. Covered are the heavens with his glory, and with his praise the earth is filled.

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

4. His splendor spreads like the light; rays shine forth from beside him, where his power is concealed.

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

5. Before him goes pestilence, and the plague follows in his steps.

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

6. He pauses to survey the earth; his look makes the nations tremble. The eternal mountains are shattered, the age-old hills bow low along his ancient ways.

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.

7. I see the tents of Cushan collapse; trembling are the pavilions of the land of Midian.

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

8. Is your anger against the streams, O LORD? Is your wrath against the streams, your rage against the sea, That you drive the steeds of your victorious chariot?

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

9. Bared and ready is your bow, filled with arrows is your quiver. Into streams you split the earth;

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

10. at sight of you the mountains tremble. A torrent of rain descends; the ocean gives forth its roar. The sun forgets to rise,

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

11. the moon remains in its shelter, At the light of your flying arrows, at the gleam of your flashing spear.

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

12. In wrath you bestride the earth, in fury you trample the nations.

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

13. You come forth to save your people, to save your anointed one. You crush the heads of the wicked, you lay bare their bases at the neck.

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

14. You pierce with your shafts the heads of their princes whose boast would be of devouring the wretched in their lair.

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.

15. You tread the sea with your steeds amid the churning of the deep waters.

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

16. I hear, and my body trembles; at the sound, my lips quiver. Decay invades my bones, my legs tremble beneath me. I await the day of distress that will come upon the people who attack us.

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.

17. For though the fig tree blossom not nor fruit be on the vines, Though the yield of the olive fail and the terraces produce no nourishment, Though the flocks disappear from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,

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.)

18. Yet will I rejoice in the LORD and exult in my saving God.

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

19. GOD, my Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet swift as those of hinds and enables me to go upon the heights. For the leader; with stringed instruments.

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.