A Prayer of Habakkuk
1 This is a prayer of the prophet Habakkuk:
2 O Lord, I have heard of what you have done,
and I am filled with awe.
Now do again in our times
the great deeds you used to do.
Be merciful, even when you are angry.
3 God is coming again from Edom;
the holy God is coming from the hills of Paran.
His splendor covers the heavens,
and the earth is full of his praise.
4 He comes with the brightness of lightning;
light flashes from his hand,
there where his power is hidden.
5 He sends disease before him
and commands death to follow him.
6 When he stops, the earth shakes;
at his glance the nations tremble.
The eternal mountains are shattered;
the everlasting hills sink down,
the hills where he walked in ancient times.
7 I saw the people of Cushan afraid
and the people of Midian tremble.
8 Was it the rivers that made you angry, Lord?
Was it the sea that made you furious?
You rode upon the clouds;
the storm cloud was your chariot,
as you brought victory to your people.
9 You got ready to use your bow,
ready to shoot your arrows.
Your lightning split open the earth.
10 When the mountains saw you, they trembled;
water poured down from the skies.
The waters under the earth roared,
and their waves rose high.
11 At the flash of your speeding arrows
and the gleam of your shining spear,
the sun and the moon stood still.
12 You marched across the earth in anger;
in fury you trampled the nations.
13 You went out to save your people,
to save your chosen king.
You struck down the leader of the wicked
and completely destroyed his followers.
14 Your arrows pierced the commander of his army
when it came like a storm to scatter us,
gloating like those who secretly oppress the poor.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
and the mighty waters foamed.
16 I hear all this, and I tremble;
my lips quiver with fear.
My body goes limp,
and my feet stumble beneath me.
I will quietly wait for the time to come
when God will punish those who attack us.
17 Even though the fig trees have no fruit
and no grapes grow on the vines,
even though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no grain,
even though the sheep all die
and the cattle stalls are empty,
18 I will still be joyful and glad,
because the Lord God is my savior.
19 The Sovereign Lord gives me strength.
He makes me sure-footed as a deer
and keeps me safe on the mountains.
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.