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.
2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
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:
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!
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?
8 Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
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!
10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.
11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!
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?
14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!
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.
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.
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?
19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.

1I will stand vpon my watch, & set mee vpon the towre, and will watch to see what he will say vnto me, and what I shall answere when I am reproued.

2And the Lord answered me and said, write the vision, and make it plaine vpon tables, that he may runne that readeth it.

3For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tary, wait for it, because it will surely come, it wil not tary.

4Behold, his soule which is lifted vp, is not vpright in him; but the iust shall liue by his faith.

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 vnto him all nations, & heapeth vnto him all people:

6Shal not all these take vp a parable against him, and a tanting prouerbe against him, and say; Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his: how long? and to him that ladeth himselfe with thicke clay.

7Shall they not rise vp suddenly that shall bite thee? and awake, that shall vexe thee? and thou shalt be for booties vnto them?

8Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shal spoile thee: because of mens blood, and for the violence of the land, of the citie, and of all that dwell therein.

9 Woe to him that coueteth an euill couetousnesse to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that hee may be deliuered from the power of euill.

10Thou hast consulted shame to thy house, by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soule.

11For the stone shall crie out of the wall, and the beame out of the timber shall answere it.

12 Woe to him that buildeth a towne with blood, and stablisheth a citie by iniquitie.

13Behold, is it not of the Lord of hostes, that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shal wearie themselues for very vanitie?

14For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters couer the Sea.

15 Woe vnto him that giueth his neighbour drinke: that puttest thy bottell to him, and makest him drunken also; that thou mayest looke on their nakednesse.

16Thou art filled with shame for glory: drinke thou also, and let thy foreskin bee vncouered: the cup of the Lords right hand shall be turned vnto thee, and shamefull spewing shalbe on thy glory.

17For the violence of Lebanon shall couer thee: and the spoile of beasts, which made them afraide, because of mens blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, & of al that dwel therin.

18 What profiteth the grauen image, that the maker thereof hath grauen it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his worke, trusteth therin, to make dumbe idoles.

19Woe vnto him that saith to the wood, Awake: to the dumbe stone, Arise, it shall teach: behold, it is layed ouer with gold and siluer, and there is no breath at all in the middest of it.

20But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keepe silence before him.

I == Ps 85:8 ; Isa 21:8 , 11

 

II == Isa 8:1 ; 30:8

 

III == Dan 10:14 ; 11:27 , 35 ; Heb 10:37

 

 

IV == John 3:36 ; Rom 1:17 ; Gal 3:11 ; Heb 10:38

V == Prov 27:20 ; 30:16

 

 

 

VI == Mic 2:4

 

 

 

VIII == Isa 33:1 ; Hab 2:17

 

 

 

 

 

IX == Jer 22:13 ; 49:16 ; Obad 1:4

 

 

 

 

 

XII == Jer 22:13 ; Ezek 24:9 ; Mic 3:10 ; Nah 3:1

XIII == Jer 51:58

 

XIV == Isa 11:9

 

XV == Gen 9:22 ; Hos 7:5

 

 

XVI Jer 25:26-27 ; 51:57

 

 

XVII == Hab 2:8

 

 

 

 

XVIII == Ps 115:5 ; Isa 44:9-10 ; 46:2 ; Jer 10:8 , 14 ; Zech 10:2 ; 1st Cor 12:2

XIX == Ps 135:17

 

 

XX == Ps 11:4 ; Zeph 1:7 ; Zech 2:13

 

1 I will stand at my guard post, and station myself upon the rampart, And keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what answer he will give to my complaint.

2 Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision Clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily.

3 For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.

4 The rash man has no integrity; but the just man, because of his faith, shall live. Wealth, too, is treacherous: the proud, unstable man - 

5 He who opens wide his throat like the nether world, and is insatiable as death, Who gathers to himself all the nations, and rallies to himself all the peoples - 

6 Shall not all these take up a taunt against him, satire and epigrams about him, to say: Woe to him who stores up what is not his: how long can it last! he loads himself down with debts.

7 Shall not your creditors rise suddenly? Shall not they who make you tremble awake? You shall become their spoil!

8 Because you despoiled many peoples all the rest of the nations shall despoil you; Because of men's blood shed, and violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell in it.

9 Woe to him who pursues evil gain for his household, setting his nest on high to escape the reach of misfortune!

10 You have devised shame for your household, cutting off many peoples, forfeiting your own life:

11 For the stone in the wall shall cry out, and the beam in the woodwork shall answer it!

12 Woe to him who builds a city by bloodshed, and establishes a town by wickedness!

13 Is not this from the LORD of hosts: peoples toil for the flames, and nations grow weary for nought!

14 But the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the LORD'S glory as water covers the sea.

15 Woe to you who give your neighbors a flood of your wrath to drink, and make them drunk, till their nakedness is seen!

16 You are filled with shame instead of glory; drink, you too, and stagger! On you shall revert the cup from the LORD'S right hand, and utter shame on your glory.

17 For the violence done to Lebanon shall cover you, and the destruction of the beasts shall terrify you; Because of men's blood shed, and violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell in it.

19 Woe to him who says to wood, "Awake!" to dumb stone, "Arise!" Can such a thing give oracles? See, it is overlaid with gold and silver, but there is no life breath in it.

18 Of what avail is the carved image, that its maker should carve it? Or the molten image and lying oracle, that its very maker should trust in it, and make dumb idols?

20 But the LORD is in his holy temple; silence before him, all the earth!

v 1. Since Habakkuk couldn’t understand, he would figuratively take up position like a watchman and wait to see what God would answer to his complaint.

v 2. The Lord’s answer was so clear that it was to be recorded on a clay tablet to preserve it, and the messenger was to read it, then run to tell others.

v 3,4 This looks beyond Babylon’s invasion and it’s fall to the destruction of the wicked in the Tribulation. God’s Word is true and it will come to pass. The Chaldeans and others proud will be destroyed, but the just shall live by his faith, Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:37-38. In the New Testament this refers to salvation and eternal life.

v 5. Babylonian drinkers thought they could conquer and control the world.

v 6-8. Woe, she had plundered and killed, but her victims will rise up, plunder her.

 

 

 

v 9-11. Woe, for Babylon’s coveting and securing riches at their own place. They ruined many nations, but even the building materials were witness of her injustice.

 

 

v 12-14. Woe, for building their cities with the blood and toil of slaves, but the labor is in vain. In contrast, in the Millennium, earth will be filled with the glory of God.

 

 

 

v 15-17. Woe, for drinking and lust and causing others to, but pictures inhumanity, even stripping Lebanon of trees and wild animals, and slaughter of humans.

 

 

v 18,. Since idols were of no value: Woe, to those who put their trust in them.

 

v 20. In contrast to worthless idols, God rules from heaven, and instead of calling Him to wake, we are to be in silent awe before Him. This leads to the triumph of chap. 3.

NOTE: The New American bible has no number 19