Habakkuk 2

Habakkuk 2:1

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

Since God hath appointed me to be a watchman for his people, I will perform the charge committed unto me: I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and carefully view, and listen what his pleasure is to do with them, and to reveal unto me; that I may give a good account of this my station and message, when I shall be challenged for it.

Habakkuk 2:2

And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

Write thou this thing, that I do now declare unto thee, in great text letters; and fix the writing publicly, upon many posts; and let it be so legible, that he who runs may read it as he passes.

Habakkuk 2:3

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie.

For this vision is not to be presently fulfilled, but hath a time set and determined, wherein it shall be accomplished; at the expiring whereof, it shall be apparently verified to the world.

Habakkuk 2:4

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

In any case, give thou full belief to this word of the Lord; for, behold, that man, which withdraweth his soul from trusting unto God, and will be raising to himself projects of his own, as he is unsound and faithless to God, so is he accordingly displeasing to him: but the just and upright man will depend upon the promises of God, and speed thereafter; for his faith in God shall both uphold his life here, and crown it with glory hereafter.

Habakkuk 2:5

Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:

Know, therefore, that this proud Babylonian, under whom thy nation shall suffer, shall at last be met with, in his own kind: he is now transported, and, as it were, intoxicated with his ambition, as with wine; which carries him from home, to

Habakkuk 2:6

Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!

But, when his turn comes, shall not all these nations, whom he hath subdued, seeing his overthrow and utter ruin, insult upon him; and take up a taunting proverb against him, and say, What is now become of the man, that raked up those kingdoms whereto he had no right? How long hath he enjoyed these ill-gotten crowns? Where now is he, that ladeth himself with extent of earth, and with the unprofitable weight of this base earthly trash?

Habakkuk 2:7

Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?

Shall not the Medes and Persians rise up suddenly against thee, and set upon thee, and spoil thee; and thou shalt be for booties unto them?

Habakkuk 2:9

Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!

Woe be to thee, O insolent Babylonian, that, out of a covetous and ambitious desire, scrapest together the wealth of the world; that thou mayest make thy nest on high in this Babylon, and that thou mayest be freed from all the fear or power of an enemy!

Habakkuk 2:10

Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.

Thou vainly devisest thus to advance thy house; but thou shalt find this to be the way to bring shame and ruin upon it: even in this bloody violence which thou hast used, in the cutting off many people, thou hast brought confusion upon thy house, and hast sinned against thy soul.

Habakkuk 2:11

For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

For, if men should hold their peace, the very stones out of the wall, which thou hast raised by this cruelty, shall cry out against thee; and the beam out of the timber-work shall second this clamour, against thine injustice and violence.

Habakkuk 2:12

Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity!

Woe to him, that buildeth and enlargeth his city Babylon, with those bloody spoils and rapines of other innocent nations.

Habakkuk 2:13

Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?

Behold, shall it not be just with the Lord of Hosts, to cross and defeat all thy projects? and to cause this people, whom thou settest on work in these buildings, to lose their labour; in that, they shall find they have wearied themselves vainly in raising up that pile, which shall soon be consumed with fire?

Habakkuk 2:14

For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

The notice of which just revenge from God shall so fill the world, as that it shall be overspread with the acknowledgment of God’s just proceedings herein; even as the sea is covered with waters; and shall give glory to his infinite justice.

Habakkuk 2:15

Woe unto him that gireth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

Woe to thee, O Nebuchadnezzar, that forcest thy neighbour princes to drink deep of the cup of thy cruel affliction; and, when thou hast brought them down into extreme misery, makest thyself merry by insulting upon their calamity!

Habakkuk 2:16

Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD’s right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.

Thou art requited accordingly; for, instead of that glory, which thou promisedst thyself, thou art filled with shame: now shalt thou also drink deep of the cup of God’s anger, and thy shame and miserable impotency shall be discovered to the world: thou shalt be made drunk with this bitter draught, from the hand of God, and thy shame and disgrace shall be-wray itself palpably, in a loathsome fashion, to the eyes of men.

Habakkuk 2:17

For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

For it shall be with thee, as with the wild beasts in the forest of Lebanon, which are violently chased by the hunter, and terrified in their pursuit; even so shalt thou be hunted by the Persian, because of the blood of men, which thou hast shed, and the violence that thou hast done to the lands and cities of thy neighbours.

Habakkuk 2:18

What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it: the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

What then shall the Chaldean find himself benefited, by his

Habakkuk 2:19

That saith to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach.

That saith to the senseless stone, Arise; and shall add, This image shall teach us future things; this oracle shall instruct us.

Habakkuk 2:20

Let all the earth keep silence before him.

Let all the inhabitants of the earth be awfully affected before his Majesty. The TITLE.—III. 1. A prophetical and supplicatory song of Habakkuk, set to mixed tunes.