Passage
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
Habakkuk 2:2 (KJV)
Nearby Context
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.
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.
Habakkuk 2:3 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.
Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "lord", "answered", "said", "write", "vision", "make", "plain", and "upon". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lord" and "answered", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 1's "I will stand upon my watch and..." into verse 3's "For the vision is yet for an...", so "lord" and "answered" belong inside that flow. In Habakkuk context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lord" and "answered" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.