Habakkuk's Prayer
1 This is my prayer:
2 I 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.
3 You are the same Holy God
who came from Teman
and Paran to help us.
The brightness of your glory
covered the heavens,
and your praises were heard
everywhere on earth.
4 Your glory shone like the sun,
and light flashed from your hands,
hiding your mighty power.
5 Dreadful diseases and plagues
marched in front
and followed behind.
6 When you stopped,
the earth shook;
when you stared,
nations trembled;
when you walked
along your ancient paths,
eternal mountains and hills
crumbled and collapsed.
7 The tents of desert tribes
in Cushan and Midian
were ripped apart.
8 Our Lord, were you angry
with the monsters
of the deep?
You attacked in your chariot
and wiped them out.
9 Your arrows were ready
and obeyed your commands.
You split the earth apart
with rivers and streams;
10 mountains trembled
at the sight of you;
rain poured from the clouds;
ocean waves roared and rose.
11 The sun and moon stood still,
while your arrows and spears
flashed like lightning.
12 In your furious anger,
you trampled on nations
13 to rescue your people
and save your chosen one.
You crushed a nation's ruler
and stripped his evil kingdom
of its power.
14 His 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.
15 Then your chariots churned
the waters of the sea.
Habakkuk's Response to God's Message
16 When I heard this message,
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.
Trust in a Time of Trouble
17 Fig 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—
18 but I will still celebrate
because the Lord God
is my Savior.
19 The Lord gives me strength.
He makes my feet as sure
as those of a deer,
and he helps me stand
on the mountains.
To the music director:
Use stringed instruments.
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet for the ignorances. 2 O Lord, I haue heard thy voyce, and was afraide: O Lord, reuiue thy worke in the mids of the people, in the mids of the yeeres make it knowen: in wrath remember mercy. 3 God commeth from Teman, and the holy one from mount Paran, Selah. His glory couereth the heauens, and the earth is full of his prayse, 4 And his brightnes was as the light: he had hornes comming out of his hands, and there was the hiding of his power. 5 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coales went forth before his feete. 6 He stoode and measured the earth: he behelde and dissolued the nations and the euerlasting mountaines were broken, and the ancient hilles did bowe: his wayes are euerlasting. 7 For his iniquitie I sawe the tentes of Cushan, and the curtaines of the land of Midian did tremble. 8 Was the Lord angry against the riuers? or was thine anger against the floods? or was thy wrath against the sea, that thou diddest ride vpon thine horses? thy charets brought saluation. 9 Thy bowe was manifestly reueiled, and the othes of the tribes were a sure worde, Selah. thou diddest cleaue the earth with riuers. 10 The mountaines sawe thee, and they trembled: the streame of the water passed by: the deepe made a noyse, and lift vp his hand on hie. 11 The sunne and moone stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrowes they went, and at the bright shining of thy speares. 12 Thou trodest downe the land in anger, and didest thresh the heathen in displeasure. 13 Thou wentest foorth for the saluation of thy people, euen for saluation with thine Anointed: thou hast wounded the head of the house of the wicked, and discoueredst the foundations vnto the necke, Selah. 14 Thou didest strike thorowe with his owne staues the heades of his villages: they came out as a whirle winde to scatter me: their reioycing was as to deuoure the poore secretly. 15 Thou didest walke in the sea with thine horses vpon the heape of great waters. 16 When I heard, my bellie trembled: my lippes shooke at the voyce: rottennesse entred into my bones, and I trembled in my selfe, that I might rest in the day of trouble: for whe he commeth vp vnto the people, he shall destroy them. 17 For the figtree shall not flourish, neither shall fruite be in the vines: the labour of the oliue shall faile, and the fieldes shall yeelde no meate: the sheepe shalbe cut off from the folde, and there shalbe no bullocke in the stalles. 18 But I will reioyce in the Lord: I will ioy in the God of my saluation. 19 The Lord God is my strength: hee will make my feete like hindes feete, and he will make me to walke vpon mine hie places. To the chiefe singer on Neginothai.