Habakkuk Chapter 3

¹ A Prayer of Habakkuk

Set to Shigionoth

² Yahveh, I’ve heard about you and stand in awe.

Revive your work in our time

      and show what you can do;

      in your anger remember mercy.                                      

Hab 3:1-2

³ God is coming from Teman,

      the Holy One from Mount Paran.

His brilliance covers the sky;

      his praise fills the earth.

⁴ His brightness shines like sunshine;

      lightning bolts flash from his hand

            where his power lies hidden.

⁵ Disease goes ahead of him;

      plague follows him.

⁶ He stops and looks the world over;

            the nations see him and tremble.

      He beats down the everlasting mountains

            and levels the ancient hills.

      His ways of working have existed from eternity.

⁷ I can see the tents in Nubia in distress;

      the tent curtains in Midian are shaking in fear.               

Hab 3:3-7

⁸ Did you rage against the rivers?

      Was your anger against the streams?

      Was it against the sea

            that you drove your steeds and victory chariots?

⁹ No. You took the cover off your bow

            and put your arrows to the string.

      You washed out canyons in the ground.

         ¹⁰The mountains watched you and shook

            as the torrent flooded past;

      The roaring deep cried out in surrender                                      

            and lifted its hands in submission.                                         

¹¹ The sun and moon stood still;

      they retreated at the flash of your arrows

            and the radiance of your spear.

Hab 3:8-11

¹² In your fury you marched across the world;

            in your anger you trampled nations.

         ¹³You headed out to save your people,

            to rescue your anointed ones.

You crushed the heads of the wicked

      and laid them open from neck to thigh.

¹⁴ You thrust through the leaders of their troops

            with their own spears.

      They’d stormed in to scatter us,

            celebrating as if running over the poor unchecked.

¹⁵ But with your horses you tramped down the sea of soldiers,

      that surging mighty flood.

Hab 3:12-15

¹⁶ I heard it and my body trembled;

            my lips quivered at the sound.

      My knees buckled;

            I froze, unable to move;

      I’ll wait in silence for distress

            to descend on our invaders.

¹⁷ Though the fir tree hasn’t budded,

            and there’re no grapes on the vine,

            and the fields aren’t growing any food,

      though the flock has scattered from the fold,

            and there are no cattle in the stalls,

¹⁸ I’ll still rejoice in Yahveh

      and delight in the salvation he’ll bring me.

¹⁹ The Lord Yahveh is my strength;

      he’s made my feet like deer’s feet

            and enables me to walk surefooted on high places.

(For the choir director accompanied by my stringed instruments)

Hab 3:16-19

Version by Virgil Warren: christir.org