¹ A PRAYER OF HABACUC THE PROPHET FOR IGNORANCES.

² O Lord, I have heard thy hearing, and was afraid. O Lord, thy work, in the midst of the years bring it to life: In the midst of the years thou shalt make it known: when thou art angry, thou wilt remember mercy.

³ God will come from the south, and the holy one from mount Pharan: His glory covered the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise.

⁴ His brightness shall be as the light; horns are in his hands: There is his strength hid:

⁵ Death shall go before his face. And the devil shall go forth before his feet.

⁶ He stood and measured the earth. He beheld, and melted the nations: and the ancient mountains were crushed to pieces. The hills of the world were bowed down by the journeys of his eternity.

⁷ I saw the tents of Ethiopia for their iniquity, the curtains of the land of Madian shall be troubled.

⁸ Wast thou angry, O Lord, with the rivers? or was thy wrath upon the rivers? or thy indignation in the sea? Who will ride upon thy horses: and thy chariots are salvation.

⁹ Thou wilt surely take up thy bow: according to the oaths which thou hast spoken to the tribes. Thou wilt divide the rivers of the earth.

¹⁰ The mountains saw thee, and were grieved: the great body of waters passed away. The deep put forth its voice: the deep lifted up its hands.

¹¹ The sun and the moon stood still in their habitation, in the light of thy arrows, they shall go in the brightness of thy glittering spear.

¹² In thy anger thou wilt tread the earth under foot: in thy wrath thou wilt astonish the nations.

¹³ Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people: for salvation with thy Christ. Thou struckest the head of the house of the wicked: thou hast laid bare his foundation even to the neck.

¹⁴ Thou hast cursed his sceptres, the head of his warriors, them that came out as a whirlwind to scatter me. Their joy was like that of him that devoureth the poor man in secret.

¹⁵ Thou madest a way in the sea for thy horses, in the mud of many waters.

¹⁶ I have heard and my bowels were troubled: my lips trembled at the voice. Let rottenness enter into my bones, and swarm under me. That I may rest in the day of tribulation: that I may go up to our people that are girded.

¹⁷ For the fig tree shall not blossom: and there shall be no spring in the vines. The labour of the olive tree shall fail: and the fields shall yield no food: the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls.

¹⁸ But I will rejoice in the Lord: and I will joy in God my Jesus.

¹⁹ The Lord God is my strength: and he will make my feet like the feet of harts: and he the conqueror will lead me upon my high places singing psalms.