Habakkuk’s Prayer

3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.a l

2 Lord, I have heardm of your fame;

I stand in awen of your deeds, Lord.o

Repeatp them in our day,

in our time make them known;

in wrath remember mercy.q

3 God came from Teman,r

the Holy Ones from Mount Paran.b t

His glory covered the heavensu

and his praise filled the earth.v

4 His splendor was like the sunrise;w

rays flashed from his hand,

where his powerx was hidden.

5 Plaguey went before him;

pestilence followed his steps.

6 He stood, and shook the earth;

he looked, and made the nations tremble.

The ancient mountains crumbledz

and the age-old hillsa collapsedb—

but he marches on forever.c

7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,

the dwellings of Midiand in anguish.e

8 Were you angry with the rivers,f Lord?

Was your wrath against the streams?

Did you rage against the seag

when you rode your horses

and your chariots to victory?h

9 You uncovered your bow,

you called for many arrows.i

You split the earth with rivers;

10 the mountains saw you and writhed.j

Torrents of water swept by;

the deep roaredk

and lifted its wavesl on high.

11 Sun and moon stood stillm in the heavens

at the glint of your flying arrows,n

at the lightningo of your flashing spear.

12 In wrath you strode through the earth

and in anger you threshedp the nations.

13 You came outq to deliverr your people,

to save your anointeds one.

You crushedt the leader of the land of wickedness,

you stripped him from head to foot.

14 With his own spear you pierced his head

when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,u

gloating as though about to devour

the wretchedv who were in hiding.

15 You trampled the seaw with your horses,

churning the great waters.x

16 I heard and my heart pounded,

my lips quivered at the sound;

decay crept into my bones,

and my legs trembled.y

Yet I will wait patientlyz for the day of calamity

to come on the nation invading us.

17 Though the fig tree does not bud

and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

and the fields produce no food,a

though there are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stalls,b

18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,c

I will be joyful in God my Savior.d

19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;e

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

he enables me to tread on the heights.f

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.