Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk prays

1 These are the words that the prophet Habakkuk prayed. He used special music to sing it.

2 Lord, I have heard the report about you.

I see the things that you have done, Lord,

and I respect your power.

Please do great things like that again.

Do them again now for us to see.

When you are angry with us,

please still remember to be kind!

3 God is coming from Teman!

The Holy God is coming from Paran mountain.

Selah.

His beautiful power covers the whole sky!

People praise him all over the earth!

4 He is as bright as the sunrise.

His hands throw bright lightning!

That is where he hides his power.

5 As he marches to war,

bad disease marches with him.

6 God stands ready to fight,

and he causes the earth to shake.

He looks at the nations

and they shake with fear.

The very old mountains break into pieces.

The old hills fall down flat.

He travels on roads that have been there for ever.

7 I see the tents where Cushan's people live,

and the people are afraid.

The people in Midian are shaking with fear.

8 Was it the rivers that made you angry, Lord?

Did the sea make you so angry?

You rode on your chariots as horses pulled them!

You rode into battle to win against your enemies.

9 You have prepared your bow.

You are ready to shoot your arrows.

Selah.

You send rivers of water to cut the earth into pieces.

10 The mountains see you and they shake.

Rain pours down from the sky and it causes floods.

The deep sea roars

and it lifts its waves up high.

11 You shoot your bright arrows

so that the sun and the moon stand still in the sky.

Your bright spear flies like lightning,

and the sun and the moon do not move!

12 You angrily march across the earth.

You knock down the armies of the nations,

because you are so angry.

13 You have marched out to rescue your people,

and to save your special servant.

You have knocked down the leader of the wicked nation.

You have removed all his clothes,

from head to foot.

Selah.

14 You threw his own spear into his head,

and you destroyed his army.

When his soldiers rushed out to attack us,

they were laughing.

They thought that they would easily win against us,

as if we were poor, weak people.

15 But you, Lord, marched across the sea with your horses.

You made the waters of the sea shake.

16 I listened to this

and I was very afraid.

My lips shook with fear

when I heard the sound.

My bones became weak.

My legs would not let me walk.

But I will be patient.

I will wait for the day of trouble that will come.

Yes, punishment will come to the people who are attacking us.

17 Whatever happens, I will continue to thank the Lord.

If there are no flowers on the fig trees,

if there are no grapes on the vines,

if there are no olives on the olive trees,

if there are no crops in the fields,

if the sheep are dying in the hills,

if there are no cows on the farms,

18 I will still sing to thank the Lord!

I will be happy because God is the one who makes me safe.

19 The Lord God causes me to be strong.

He makes my feet run safely over the rocks and hills,

like a deer's feet.

This prayer is for the music leader. He must use stringed instruments.