Tefillah le-Chavakuk — The Prayer of Habakkuk
This prayer is drawn from the third chapter of the biblical Book of Habakkuk, a prophetic poem that the prophet himself called 'a prayer.' In the tradition of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov and as cited by Rabbi Mordechai Sharabi, it is recommended as a segulah — a spiritually auspicious practice — for one whose mind is troubled or confused, helping to restore mental clarity and inner calm. It is recited as a personal supplication at any time of need. Whoever you are and wherever you come from, you are welcome to let these ancient words carry your heart.
A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, upon shigionot.
Adonai, I have heard Your report — and I am in awe;
Adonai, bring Your work to life in the midst of the years,
in the midst of the years make it known;
in wrath, remember to have compassion.
God comes from Teman,
and the Holy One from Mount Paran — selah;
His majesty covers the heavens,
and the earth is full of His praise.
His radiance is like the light,
rays of power are from His hand;
and there is the hiding place of His strength.
Before Him walks pestilence,
and burning plague goes forth at His feet.
He stands and measures the earth,
He looks and startles the nations;
the ancient mountains shatter,
the eternal hills bow low —
the eternal pathways are His.
In place of trouble I see the tents of Cushan;
the tent-curtains of the land of Midian tremble.
Was it against rivers that You raged, Adonai —
against the rivers that Your anger burned,
or against the sea Your fury?
For You ride upon Your horses,
Your chariots are salvation.
Your bow is bared and ready,
the oaths sworn to the tribes — selah;
You split the earth with rivers.
The mountains see You and writhe,
a torrent of water sweeps past;
the deep gives forth its voice,
it lifts its hands on high.
Sun and moon stand still in their height;
by the light of Your arrows they speed,
by the gleam of Your flashing spear.
In fury You stride upon the earth;
in anger You trample the nations.
You went forth for the salvation of Your people,
for salvation with Your anointed;
You shattered the head from the house of the wicked,
laying bare the foundation up to the neck — selah.
You pierced with his own shafts the heads of his warriors;
they stormed out to scatter me,
their gloating was like devouring the poor in secret.
You trod the sea with Your horses,
churning the great waters.
I heard, and my belly trembled,
at the sound my lips quivered;
decay enters into my bones,
and where I stand I tremble —
that I might rest in the day of trouble,
when the invader comes up against the people.
For the fig tree shall not blossom,
and there is no fruit on the vines;
the olive crop has failed,
and the fields yield no food;
the flock is cut off from the fold,
and there is no cattle in the stalls.
Yet I — in Adonai I will exult;
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
Adonai my Master is my strength;
He sets my feet like the deer's,
and makes me tread upon my high places —
for the leader, with my stringed instruments.
Tefillah le-Chavakuk ha-navi, al shigionot.
Adonai, shamati shim'acha yareiti;
Adonai, po'alcha be-kerev shanim chayehu,
be-kerev shanim toda'i;
be-rogez, rachem tizkor.
Eloah mi-Teman yavo,
ve-kadosh me-har Paran selah;
kisah shamayim hodo,
ve-tehilato mal'ah ha-aretz.
ve-nogah kha-or tihyeh,
karnayim mi-yado lo;
ve-sham, chevyon uzzo.
Lefanav, yelech daver;
ve-yetze reshef, le-raglav.
Amad va-yemoded eretz,
ra'ah va-yater goyim;
va-yitpotzatzu har're ad,
shachu giv'ot olam;
halichot olam, lo.
Tachat aven, ra'iti ohalei Kushan;
yirgezun, yeri'ot eretz Midyan.
Ha-vi-neharot charah Adonai,
im ba-neharot appecha,
im ba-yam evratecha:
ki tirkav al susecha,
markevotecha yeshu'ah.
Erya ta'or kashtecha,
shvu'ot mattot omer selah;
neharot, tevaka aretz.
Ra'ucha yachilu harim,
zerem mayim avar;
natan tehom kolo,
rom yadeihu nasa.
Shemesh yareach, amad zevulah;
le-or chitzecha yehaleichu,
le-nogah berak chanitecha.
Be-za'am, titz'ad aretz;
be-af, tadush goyim.
yatzata le-yesha ammecha,
le-yesha et meshichecha;
machatzta rosh mi-beit rasha,
eru yesod ad tzavar selah.
Nikavta be-mattav rosh perazav,
yis'aru le-hafitzeni;
alitzutam, ke-mo le-echol ani ba-mistar.
Darachta va-yam susecha;
choomer, mayim rabbim.
Shamati va-tirgaz bitni,
le-kol tzalalu sefatai;
yavo rakav ba-atzamai,
ve-tachtai argaz:
asher anu'ach le-yom tzarah,
le-alot le-am yegudenu.
Ki te'enah lo tifhrach,
ve-ein yevul ba-geafanim;
kichesh ma'aseh-zayit,
ve-shedemot lo asah ochel;
gazar mi-miklah tzon,
ve-ein bakar ba-refatayim.
Va-ani, ba-Adonai a'alozah:
agila, be-Elohei yish'i.
Adonai Adonai, cheili,
va-yasem raglai ka-ayalot,
ve-al bamotai yadricheni;
la-menatzei'ach, bi-neginotai.
Common Questions
A segulah (plural: segulot) is a practice, object, or text regarded in Jewish tradition as spiritually auspicious or protective — not a magical formula, but a trusted remedy passed down through generations. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, in his work Sefer HaMidot, listed the recitation of Habakkuk's prayer as a segulah for yishuv ha-da'at — settling or composing the mind. The tradition recognizes that sacred words, spoken with intention, can have a calming and clarifying effect on a troubled spirit.
Habakkuk was one of the twelve Minor Prophets of the Hebrew Bible. Based on the content of his book, he is generally understood to have prophesied during a period of great national crisis, likely around the late seventh or early sixth century BCE, when the Babylonian threat loomed over Judah. His book is remarkable for its raw theological wrestling: Habakkuk openly challenges God about justice and suffering before arriving at a profound declaration of faith.
The prayer is essentially the entirety of Habakkuk chapter 3. It opens with the prophet's awe at God's power — 'Adonai, I have heard Your report; I am in awe' — and moves through a sweeping vision of God's majesty sweeping across creation: mountains trembling, rivers parting, nations scattering. The poem then turns inward: the prophet describes his own trembling body and fearful waiting. It concludes with one of the most celebrated declarations of faith in all of Scripture — trust in God even when the fig tree does not blossom and the fields yield no food.
The word shigionot appears in the superscription of this prayer — 'A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, upon shigionot' — and its precise meaning is uncertain. It is generally understood as a musical or liturgical term, possibly referring to a particular mode of poetic expression or musical performance, perhaps one marked by strong emotion or wandering meter. The word may share a root with the Hebrew sh-g-h, meaning to err or to wander, suggesting an impassioned, irregular, or ecstatic composition.
Absolutely. The words of Habakkuk come from the Hebrew Bible, a text that is foundational to Jewish, Christian, and Islamic spiritual traditions, and that speaks to all of humanity. While this prayer is embedded in a specifically Jewish devotional context — recommended by Jewish teachers for Jewish practice — its themes of awe before God, trembling in the face of suffering, and radical trust in divine faithfulness are universal. Any person of faith, or anyone seeking stillness and clarity in a time of inner turmoil, may find these words meaningful and may pray them sincerely.
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, who emphasized the deep connection between spiritual practice and mental well-being, saw in Habakkuk's prayer a model of moving through overwhelming inner experience toward peace. The prayer itself traces exactly that arc: it begins in fear and trembling, passes through a vision of cosmic upheaval, and arrives at radical equanimity — 'yet I will exult in Adonai.' The act of reciting this movement aloud, in the voice of the prophet, may help a troubled person rehearse and internalize that same journey from anxiety to grounded trust.