Habakkuk Prays to the Lord
3 This is a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. It is on shigionoth. Here is what he said.
2 Lord, I know how famous you are.
I have great respect for you
because of your mighty acts.
Do them again for us.
Make them known in our time.
When you are angry,
please have mercy on us.
3 God came from Teman.
The Holy One came from Mount Paran.
His glory covered the heavens.
His praise filled the earth.
4 His glory was like the sunrise.
Rays of light flashed from his mighty hand.
His power was hidden there.
5 He sent plagues ahead of him.
Sickness followed behind him.
6 When he stood up, the earth shook.
When he looked at the nations,
they trembled with fear.
The age-old mountains crumbled.
The ancient hills fell down.
But he marches on forever.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in trouble.
The people of Midian were suffering greatly.
8 Lord, were you angry with the rivers?
Were you angry with the streams?
Were you angry with the Red Sea?
You rode your horses and chariots
to overcome it.
9 You got your bow ready to use.
You asked for many arrows.
You broke up the surface
of the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw you and shook.
Floods of water swept by.
The sea roared.
It lifted its waves high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in the sky.
They stopped because your flying arrows flashed by.
Your gleaming spear shone like lightning.
12 When you were angry, you marched across the earth.
Because of your anger you destroyed the nations.
13 You came out to set your people free.
You saved your chosen ones.
You crushed Pharaoh, the leader of that evil land of Egypt.
You stripped him from head to foot.
14 His soldiers rushed out to scatter us.
They were laughing at us.
They thought they would easily destroy us.
They saw us as weak people who were trying to hide.
So you wounded Pharaoh’s head with his own spear.
15 Your horses charged into the Red Sea.
They stirred up the great waters.
16 I listened and my heart pounded.
My lips trembled at the sound.
My bones seemed to rot.
And my legs shook.
But I will be patient.
I’ll wait for the day of trouble to come on Babylon.
It’s the nation that is attacking us.
17 The fig trees might not bud.
The vines might not produce any grapes.
The olive crop might fail.
The fields might not produce any food.
There might not be any sheep in the pens.
There might not be any cattle in the barns.
18 But I will still be glad
because of what the Lord has done.
God my Savior fills me with joy.
19 The Lord and King gives me strength.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer.
He helps me walk on the highest places.
This prayer is for the director of music. It should be sung while being accompanied by stringed instruments.